I bought a car from a guy, and I paid him cash. 2 days later, my transmission went out. And the guy didn't replace the windshield or mirror knob, both of which he said he would replace. He sells cars on a regular basis, but it's a completely under the table type of thing. And I heard that in the state of Missouri you can only sell 5 cars a year. So according to that, he's completely in the wrong. But I can't find anything that actually says that you can only sell 5 cars a year. If any of you guys could help me out with that it would be greatly appreciated! Because otherwise I'm out $1500+ for all of the repairs...
2007-04-16 09:16:49 · 9 answers · asked by mandarin 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Buying & Selling
I failed to mention that this guy is a mechanic.
2007-04-16 10:36:15 · update #1
I don't think you have many options without any kind of written contract, but if he is truly doing everything "under the table", there may be a chance he is not reporting all his earnings to the IRS. Depending on how vindictive you are, you could drop some hints to the IRS about him.
2007-04-16 09:29:39 · answer #1 · answered by raininginspace 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oftentimes, mechanics will put liens on cars when the customer can't pay the bill for services rendered, the customer then usually releases interest, because they can't afford to keep the car and the mechanic ends up selling it. There are also people who buy and sell several cars a year, earning a living at it, but not being licensed. These sellers are called, "curbstoners", in the dealer regulation books. People often cannot get proper service, titles aren't processed properly, many things tend to go wrong, when dealing with this type of car seller. You are correct that, there is a minimum amount of cars you can buy/sell in a given period of time, and you must pay fees/costs related to operating a used car dealership. You will find the info in your State Govt listings, probably Vehicle Dealer Licensing/Services.
2007-04-16 16:15:45 · answer #2 · answered by fisherwoman 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's doubtful he had any idea that the transmission was going to fail imminently. Generally, unless you have mechanic's inspect things ahead of time, you would never know. Even then that's not a foolproof solution.
Since you say he buys and sells many cars a year, he most likely just picks them up cheap, cleans them up and sells them for a profit, so he wouldn't really have any idea about an imminent transmission failure.
If you are sure that he's an under the table dealer, tell him you'll be reporting him to the appropriate authorities in your state unless he makes this deal right. You don't have a legal leg to stand on, but threatening his livelihood may help motivate him to come to an equitable solution.
2007-04-16 10:33:09 · answer #3 · answered by Uncle Pennybags 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whether or not he sells 5 or more cars a month is between him and the state. You would have no recourse either way. Even if he is licensed, a 1500 car will be sold as-is with no warranty.
If he gave you a bill of sale indicating that he was to fix the windshield and mirror knob, and he didn't, then you can bring him to small claims for that.
As far as the tranny, unless the bill of sale stated warranty, you are out of luck.
Sorry,,,Good Luck
2007-04-16 10:33:24 · answer #4 · answered by jay 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how do car dealerships stay in business then on their whopping 5 sales a year?
Seems even with paying cash you must have signed something, and on this thing I am sure it said "as is". The fact that he may or may not have fixed the windshield or mirror knob has nothing to do with the transmission... should have had a mechanic inspect it first
2007-04-16 09:35:11 · answer #5 · answered by Dylan m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he sells more than 5 a year he has to have a licenses. If he has the titles in someone Else's name he can even get around that for a while but when he is caught they will get him. Call your state DMV and they will tell you what is required of him. then you will know exactly what to do .
2007-04-16 09:27:46 · answer #6 · answered by roy40371 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless you have a buyers order signed, dated, and notarized from the seller indicating that he is going to repair these issues, the repairs are on you. Learn from the expensive lesson and never be so trusting when buying anything expensive again...documentation is the only recourse that you have and it sounds like in this case you have none
2007-04-16 09:24:52 · answer #7 · answered by malemute1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well if it was an under the table kind of business then I would say you got screwed in this one. So chalk it up to lesson learned and buy from someone legit next time.
2007-04-16 09:24:36 · answer #8 · answered by Lisa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get it bak
2007-04-20 07:59:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋