QUESTION
Can I sue over a failure to disclose salvaged in title in private car sale? Or can I get my car back if the Transfer of Title was not fully signed?
Asked on Oct 27th, 2015 on Consumer Law - Florida
More details to this question:
I just listed my car for sale on craigslist. Someone offered me a trade for his truck plus cash, however, I learned after he left my house that his truck had a salvaged title. He never disclosed verbally or in writing that his car had a salvaged title, which as I understand, is required as part of FL statute 319.14. When he offered me his vehicle plus cash and I told him my intention was to take his trade and try to sell it to cover the difference of my original listing price, fully thinking that his car was clean as he had mentioned. After learning that the vehicle has salvage on the title, and is therefore worth 70% less than I was led to believe, I contacted the seller in hopes of settling privately. In addition, we never finished signing the Transfer of Title By Seller portion of our titles. This part of both titles was left blank and for us to legally register these vehicles and transfer titles, that portion needs to be filled out by the current owner.
1 ANSWER
Consumer Debt Collector Harassment & Abuse Attorney serving Tampa, FL
Partner at
Tischhauser Law Group
2 Awards
Its possible, the question is whether its cost effective depending on the value of the vehicles involved. Generally, the least expensive way to deal with this is to report it to the State Attorney's office as typically the facts you describe may have criminal implications. I also recall that there may be some limitatons as to the applicability for such disclosures such as the age or mileage of the vehicle at issue. Other than that you will have to weigh the expense of hiring a lawyer to handle such an issue to the value of the cars involved.
Answered on Nov 03rd, 2015 at 8:32 AM
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