CALGARY – A Calgary woman is speaking out after her car was repossessed just months after purchasing it.
Tammy Cryderman says she bought the 2011 Chrysler 300 in a private sale in September, but didn’t realize there was a previous lien on the vehicle. She told Global News she purchased the vehicle as a replacement for her previous car, which had suffered severe hail damage.
She told Global News she found the car on Kijiji, met the owner, had it inspected and even did a CarProof vehicle history search. Having found nothing unusual, Cryderman said she was shocked when a tow truck showed up to seize the vehicle for a finance company.
“The previous owner had owed almost $16,000 still on the vehicle and he said, ‘I apologize but this car is not your vehicle and we have to remove it’.”
Cryderman said she had not considered previous liens and did not know how to check for them. She is now warning anyone who purchases a used vehicle to make sure they know how to find out if any previous liens exist.
That information can be found on the Alberta Government Vehicle Information Report. It is available at any registry office and includes how many times the vehicle has been registered and if it’s ever been written off.
The province does not regulate private sales, but does investigate potential “curbers”, or unlicensed car dealers who make a living selling cars. Anyone selling cars privately on a regular basis is considered an auto sales business and must be licensed.
“We are constantly working to eliminate curbers,” says Laura Lowe of the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council. “We can lay charges, we can issue administrative penalties and we can issue directors orders.”
The council recommends anyone purchasing a vehicle in a private sale make sure the seller is the registered owner.
For her part, Cryderman has filed a police report for fraud and has reported the seller to the Alberta Motor Vehicle Council. The vehicle is being held until January and Cryderman hopes the previous owner pays off the lien so it can be returned to her.
You can find more useful information on buying a used vehicle on the Service Alberta website.
Comments