Can a dealership make me sign a new lease if they changed the terms of the old one?
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Can a dealership make me sign a new lease if they changed the terms of the old one?
I began leasing a car through a dealership the 1st of this month. On that day, I sold the dealership the car I had owned and signed the contract for the new car I am leasing. Then 8 days later, the dealership called me and told me that they needed me to sign a new contact so I could save a few dollars a month. When the contract arrived I noticed that while the payment was less, the amount of miles and the overage charge fee were different. When I noticed this, I chose not to sign. When talking with the dealership, they stated that the old contract was worthless. Do I have to sign a new one?
Asked on July 11, 2011 under General Practice, Wisconsin
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
First of all, the dealership is incorrect. The old contract is still in effect and unfortunately, if the dealership made a mistake, that mistake was a completely poor unilateral mistake and since you already performed on that contract (paying on the lease, signing it and selling your other car), then the dealership has no leg to stand on. Second, to do otherwise would be make the dealership liable to you and possibly liable to the administrative agency which regulates it for fraud or fraud in the inducement. You need to contact the attorney general in your state, bring in all of your paperwork, show what you have and file a complaint. You need to ensure your payments are not simply sitting somewhere and are actually being applied to your lease agreement. This is so the dealership doesn't simply come back and tell you that you are in default.
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