The Indiana House of Representatives today passed State Rep. Holli Sullivan’s (R-Evansville) bill that would help victims of unscrupulous auto dealership practices.
Sullivan said the bill is in response to incidents where individuals purchased cars from an Evansville dealership, but didn’t receive their vehicle titles before the business abruptly closed its doors. Unfortunately, court judgments against shady auto dealers don’t always result in consumer restitution and victims are left without their titles or other recourse.
The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office handles complaints and brings actions against auto dealers, but is not currently able to provide consumer restitution if the company fails to pay. Under this bill, the office would have the opportunity to provide restitution through a newly created consumer restitution fund.
“I worked with Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson to find a practical solution to address this problem and bring much-needed relief to victims in these difficult situations,†Sullivan said. “This can be quite a burden on people who have already invested money for a vehicle and do not have funds to move forward on a different automobile.â€
“Over the years, my office has seen a few bad actors close up and leave town, leaving consumers in a bind and without a working vehicle or the title to their car,†Lawson said. “This bill creates a consumer restitution fund that will allow us to pay consumers up to $3,000 if they are victimized by a car dealer. In many cases, this can make a world of difference to the consumer and enable them to start the process of recovery.â€
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. For more information on Sullivan’s bill, visit iga.in.gov.
