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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – A Fort Price teenager had a car he believed he bought, repossessed by a Fort Price used automotive dealership.
5 months after 16-year-old Johnathon Fredricks paid a part-time salesman almost $10,000 for a compact SUV, the car was towed again to the Fort Price dealership, I Drive-DFW.
The used automotive dealership mentioned the Mazda SUV was theirs and was unaware {that a} former part-time salesman had offered the car.
Fredricks paid James Steelman immediately for the car as a result of Steelman informed {the teenager} and his grandfather the Mazda was his private car.
The I Drive-DFW supervisor mentioned he offered the Mazda SUV to Steelman simply months prior, however Steelman had stopped making funds on it so the dealership repossessed it.
The dealership mentioned Steelman was working as a contract salesman the day the Fredricks got here in, however the supervisor mentioned he was unaware that Steelman had offered them the Mazda.
Steelman informed the CBS 11 I-Group mentioned he owned the Mazda CX5 outright due to a previous enterprise take care of I Drive-DFW.
Whereas the dealership and Steelman dispute who owns the car, Fredricks is left and not using a car and the almost $10,000 he used to pay for it.
“I labored at Chick-fil-A for a couple of 12 months saving up for that automotive,” mentioned the 16-year-old. “That’s essentially the most irritating half is how lengthy I labored saving up for it.”
Johnathon Fredricks (CBS 11)
When Fredricks turned 16, he and his grandfather went searching for a car at I Drive-DFW.
After initially not discovering a car they needed, Steelman confirmed them his 2016 Mazda CX5.
“It seemed nice. It was tremendous clear, good, and fairly new so I used to be like let’s go for it,” Fredricks mentioned.
After they went to write down the test, Steelman informed them it was his private automotive and to make the cashier take a look at to him.
In order that they did for $9,893.
Fredricks and his grandfather mentioned Steelman gave them a Invoice of Sale of Car receipt and informed them he would ship them the car’s title.
“I believed him,” mentioned Fredricks’ grandfather, Larry Messer. “He (Steelman) was the nicest man and I assume that’s the way you get in this type of bother.”
5 months later, Fredricks was out procuring when he walked out and noticed his car being towed.
I Drive-DFW repossessed the car.
“We stopped the tow truck man and we began speaking to him. We had been like that is my automotive,” defined Fredricks. “It didn’t make sense as a result of I paid money.”
Steelman informed the CBS 11 I-Group, “I offered the automotive on good intentions. It was going to be his (Fredricks) and I used to be completely prepared to signal over the title as quickly as I acquired it. All this different stuff is ridiculous.”
Steelman mentioned due to prior enterprise offers with I Drive-DFW, the Mazda was already paid off. He mentioned he was simply ready for the dealership to provide him the title so he may give it to Fredricks.
When the I-Group requested Steelman in an interview if he had any information exhibiting he had paid off the car, his legal professional interrupted and mentioned they weren’t going to get into specifics in regards to the case.
Steelman informed the I-Group he filed for chapter earlier than the dealership repossessed the automotive and notified the I Drive-DFW that the car was a protected asset.
“I’m simply attempting to make it proper as greatest I can,” Steelman informed the I-Group.
In 2008, Steelman was sentenced to a 12 months in state jail after pleading responsible to felony debit card abuse and theft by test.
Previous to that, he had been convicted 4 different instances for white collar crimes, together with misleading commerce apply and forgery.
“That was 10 years in the past,” Steelman mentioned. “Since then, I’ve been doing nothing however attempting to make my life higher and to higher individuals round me. All people has a previous. I can’t change my previous. All I can do is do what I do now.”
Whereas each Steelman and I Drive DFW informed the I-Group they’re doing no matter they will to make it proper, the Mazda Fredricks paid for nonetheless sits on locked up on the dealership.
“I simply hope this doesn’t occur once more to anybody else as a result of it’s such a irritating expertise,” Fredricks mentioned.
Purchaser Beware Tip
When shopping for a automotive via a personal sale, the vendor ought to have the ability to present you the title and the vendor needs to be listed because the proprietor – and the one proprietor.
There needs to be no financing firm listed.
If the vendor has financed the automotive with a third-party financing firm and hasn’t paid off the mortgage, that needs to be a purple flag.
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