In July, 2004, I purchased a 2002 Nissan Sentra at a car sale at McCoy Federal Credit Union in Orlando, FL. I was approved for a loan despite my bad credit report, but I was not approved for a certain amount - I was approved to purchase a car at the car sale from Taddei motors. Not only that, the prices were not displayed on the autos, and I could not select the car I wanted. I was told I could purchase my choice of two cars, but I was not allowed to know the cost of the other vehicles or to use the same amount of money for the car loan to purchase a vehicle from another dealership.
So I took the 2002 Nissan Sentra, only to discover later that the trunk was saturated with water and rusted out, although research on the VIN number did not show that the car had been totaled or flooded in the past. (I could have purchased a brand new Nissan for the price I paid for the 2002 Nissan.)
About a year later, I got signature loan from McCoy because I had made my car payments. I remained current on both loans until October 26, 2005, when I was the victim of a "swoop and swerve" auto accident and rear ended a SUV. The airbags in the Nissan did not diploy nor did the seat belts restrain me and my 9 year old son. He received a head injury and I was diagnosed with whiplash and a neck disk injury along with nerve damage. I have not returned to work since.
After the accident, Taddei Motors held another car sale at McCoy bank, and again I was shown several cars I could purchase, even though my insurance company had not settled on the Nissan car, which was totaled. McCoy allowed me to take a 2002 Chrysler Crusier with no money down and payments to begin in December of 2005, 45 days after the contract was signed. Due to the accident and not returning to work, I notified McCoy that I was having financial difficulty and had filed for disability. Upon hearing of my situation, McCoy refused my January payment on the PT Cruiser because I had not paid my signature loan payment, which was signed PRIOR to the purchase of the PT Cruiser and possibly linked as cross collateral to the 2002 Nissan, although that was never pointed out to me when I signed for the signature loan and I can not find the clause in my contract.
Now McCoy Federal Union is trying to repossess the PT Cruiser (although I have tried to make payments and even have a letter and returned check from McCoy, proof that I have tried to make good on that debt.) It was never mentioned when I signed the contract for the PT Cruiser that the signature loan was cross collateral for the PT Cruiser. It is my understanding the cross collateral in a signature loan can only be linked to a collateral purchase AFTER the major purchase.
According to my research, it is illegal to tie a signature loan to a major purchase as cross collateral when the signature loan was received PRIOR TO the major purchase. The day I purchased the PT Cruiser, I learned that Taddei Motors did NOT have a city permit to sell cars at that location, and that they had never had a permit in the past. I know this because the owner of Taddei Motors walked into the loan office when I was going over my contract and asked the loan officer if she had got a permit from the city because an investigator with the City was requesting to see the permit. The loan officer replied that McCoy had NEVER in the past got a city permit to sell cars at that location for Taddei motors and did not have a permit at that time. She was instructed by the owner of Taddei Motors to get a permit ASAP.
I also learned that Taddei Motors and McCoy Federal had an agreement that Taddei Motors would take responsibility for repossessing the autos McCoy financed if a purchaser fell behind in payments. Taddei Motors also would take on the financial burden of re-selling the cars and making good on the loans McCoy had written. I believe that is an unfair business practice because it does not allow an individual to purchase a vehicle of choice. McCoy Federal and Taddei Motors are taking advantage of credit needy individuals, selling overpriced vehichles with loans lasting 60-66 months on used vehicles with high mileage when one could purchase new vehicles for the same price or even less.
I am seeking legal assistance on this matter. I was employed with the U.S. Census Bureau at the time of the accident and I am currently unemployed with a 9 year old and 18 year old to support. We are residing with my parents at this time, and they are retired and cannot take on my financial burdens nor should they. I am owed over $90,000 in back child support by two different man and neither the State of Florida or the State of Alabama have enforced my child support court orders even though I have attempted many, many times to do so.
How is it that I can be scammed, evicted from my home, and now have my auto repossessed even though I have attempted to make payments and they have been refused by the bank. My car insurance also doubled after the auto accident, from $100/month to $200/month.
Even though Florida law states that my insurance should have paid me for lost wages within 2 weeks, I did not receive payment until more than two months later. So I went without any income for two months, yet I still made my car and insurance payments. And for what?
To top all of this off, Taddei Motors NEVER sent me the vehicle registration to the PT Cruiser, even though Florida law requires that the dealership is required to do so within 10 days. Now thatI had to move to Alabama because we were evicted, I cannot get another insurance company or even register the PT Cruiser in Alabama because the vehicle registration was not given to me.
The 2002 PT Cruiser had over 80,00 miles on it when I purchased it, and I have to pay $227 for 66 months as well as $200/month in insurance. I have no choice; I am unemployed and can not get credit any where else.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS COUNTRY? WE NEED TO BE TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN PEOPLE INSTEAD OF BLOWING UP OTHER COUNTRIES WHILE OUR OWN SONS AND DAUGHTERS ARE BEING KILLED, THEN USING OUR U.S. DOLLARS TO REBUILD THE COUNTRY ALL IN THE NAME OF FREEDOM.
I AM NOT FREE TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE OF MY CHOICE; I AM NOT FREE TO LIVE IN MY OWN HOME WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING EVICTED IF THE PAYMENT IS 3 DAYS LATE (EVICTION PROCESS CAN START AFTER A 3 AND 10 DAY NOTICE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. IT TAKES LESS THAN 30 DAYS TO HAVE SOMEONE EVICTED FROM THEIR HOME.)
I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENFORCEMENT OF MY OWN SON'S CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS. YOU CALL THIS A FREE COUNTRY??? IT IS NOT, AND WE, THE PEOPLE, NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO SAVE IT!
Darlene
Harvest, Alabama
U.S.A.