If the salesman at a dealership lied to me when I purchased a truck, is there anything that I can do?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If the salesman at a dealership lied to me when I purchased a truck, is there anything that I can do?
I recently purchased a truck at a dealership and traded in another vehicle for it that was under my grandfather’s name. The sales man told me that they needed my grandfathe’rs info for title purposed to the trade-in. I called the bank later and found out that they used his info to co-sign and we did not give permission for that. When I asked about this the salesman told me that it was a new law that came into effect and that they did not have the new paperwork yet but that they were not going to use him as a co-signer. Is there anything we can do about this?
Asked on August 3, 2011 Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Someone cannot be held liable on a note that they did not contractually agree to. It sounds as if your grand-father specifically consented to a truck in his name to be used as a trade-in... and that's it. If he didn't agree to more than that, yet the dealer is still trying to add him as a co-signer, then you need to get copies of all of the paperwork involved. To consent they would need a signature from your grand-father. If someone else signed for your grand-father, there may be a possible criminal charge of forgery. Additionally, depending on the paperwork, you may also have a civil claim for a violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The full breath of your remedies will turn on what is in writing and what they told you. Several mortgage companies mocked up documents a few years ago to get people approved for credit that did not otherwise qualify. This may be a similar scheme. If it is, you may also want to file an online complaint with the Texas Attorney General since they have been involved in the prosecution of these types of cases.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.