TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida law requires car dealers to transfer the title into a buyer’s name within 30 days of purchase. But that didn’t happen for Michael Burgess, of Pinellas County.
Burgess and his wife bought a 2009 Honda CRV in September and can’t legally drive it because the title was never transferred into their names.
“Now, I’m paying for a vehicle that I can’t drive,” Burgess said.
Burgess turned to Better Call Behnken for answers. He says the dealer, Top Gear Cars LLC, provided a rental car that broke down, then provided another rental car, but he wanted the car he bought.
When Burgess bought the Honda, he was provided a customary 30-day temporary tag. When it expired, he discovered the title still wasn’t in their names. After two more temporary tags expired, the dealer couldn’t legally give them another one.
The dealership owner tells Investigator Shannon Behnken that he unknowingly bought the car with a lien on it. He explained that the auction company failed to send him the title and he’s been working to fix the situation. He says this issue is causing problems for his dealership, too, and that he can’t sell more cars until this is taken care of.
A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says they reached out to Burgess after calls from Better Call Behnken and offered another temporary tag while they investigate what went wrong. Burgess decided to keep the rental, for now.
Meanwhile, records show the lien has now been released and Burgess is hopeful the title will transfer soon.
Top Gear’s owner tells Better Call Behnken he is trying to make this right and is willing to not only pay for the rental car, but he’ll also pay Burgess’ car payment this month.
The state spokeswoman says the department is “reviewing the dealer’s activities and will take regulatory action as deemed appropriate.”