Sold a bus and then the buyer leaves it on the road. Now what?

[Conquiztador]

Had this old bus, a Ford Hino -86 that I wanted to get rid of. The COF had run out a year ago. And the rego did run out July 2011. I did not manage to get new COF so I left it sitting and bought another bus.

In June I was thinking I better sell the thing. Put in on TM for highest bidder. Had a chap who offered me $6K so I took his offer.

He flew up from SI and told me he knew everything there wa to know re busses. I told him that the bus been sitting for close to a year. I have started it and driven it around a little, but thats it.

The chap wants to drive it to Wellington and put it on the ferry. He has organised a ferry ticket. I tell him it will be his responsibility. But I also tell him that when we were using the bus she did run well and I can not see any reason he would not make it. (Reason for failing COF was rust in floor under seats).

Well... the Manawatu Gorge is closed so he drives over the Rimutakas. Once he gets over the hill he has heated up motor, steering and burnt the clutch. So he leaves it 5Km outside Upper Hutt at 11pm and leaves me a message on my phone. I get the message 6am and his next call at 6.30am. He tells me that he had a hell of a drive and that the bus was not fit for the road... (No COF or rego...hello) and he has thrown the keys in the bus and walked away.He does not want it. I tell him the only thing I can do is to tow it back. He tells me he could not care less.

I get a tow company to tow it back to Hawke's Bay for $1,900 + GST.

Now he wants his $6K back. I told him he is dreaming and the best I can consider is to pay him $6K less the towing. Oh yes, he also want me to refund all his costs from the trip...

I am planning to re-sell the bus, charge him the tow fee and also if the re-sale is less than the $6K I will take the difference out of his money.

Comments?

[Katman]

Comments?

[blackdog]

Not your problem in the first place. If you had filled out your side of the change of ownership and submitted it, you had no further responsibility. Caveat Emptor and all that.

[bogan]

Reckon you should have left it alone after he dumped it on the side of the road. Now that you have it back again he will say it has been returned so should get a refund.

[supa.m]

Dunno what the law says but as soon as you arranged to get it towed it sounds like you felt that was the right thing to do......why is that?

[DEATH_INC.]

Reckon you should have left it alone after he dumped it on the side of the road. Now that you have it back again he will say it has been returned so should get a refund.

Yeh, I'm with him, you've accepted it back, though it is normally up to the buyer to return it. A refund less towing seems fair, and maybe even less damages if you can prove it was his fault. Except you took it back...

[tigertim20]

Had this old bus, a Ford Hino -86 that I wanted to get rid of. The COF had run out a year ago. And the rego did run out July 2011. I did not manage to get new COF so I left it sitting and bought another bus.

In June I was thinking I better sell the thing. Put in on TM for highest bidder. Had a chap who offered me $6K so I took his offer.

He flew up from SI and told me he knew everything there wa to know re busses. I told him that the bus been sitting for close to a year. I have started it and driven it around a little, but thats it.

The chap wants to drive it to Wellington and put it on the ferry. He has organised a ferry ticket. I tell him it will be his responsibility. But I also tell him that when we were using the bus she did run well and I can not see any reason he would not make it. (Reason for failing COF was rust in floor under seats).

Well... the Manawatu Gorge is closed so he drives over the Rimutakas. Once he gets over the hill he has heated up motor, steering and burnt the clutch. So he leaves it 5Km outside Upper Hutt at 11pm and leaves me a message on my phone. I get the message 6am and his next call at 6.30am. He tells me that he had a hell of a drive and that the bus was not fit for the road... (No COF or rego...hello) and he has thrown the keys in the bus and walked away.He does not want it. I tell him the only thing I can do is to tow it back. He tells me he could not care less.

I get a tow company to tow it back to Hawke's Bay for $1,900 + GST.

Now he wants his $6K back. I told him he is dreaming and the best I can consider is to pay him $6K less the towing. Oh yes, he also want me to refund all his costs from the trip...

I am planning to re-sell the bus, charge him the tow fee and also if the re-sale is less than the $6K I will take the difference out of his money.

Comments?

I would not have towed it back. heres the thing.
If youd left it on the side of the road, you could say 'you bought it, and you then chose todrive a vehicle illegally, and you broke it, its your problem' and walk away.
Now that you have towed it back, it appears as though you have agreed to let him return it and cancel the sale - which would naturally mean a refund.

I sell vehicles with honesty, but if someone goes up the road and fucks it, I dont wanna know about it.

[tigertim20]

Yeh, I'm with him, you've accepted it back, though it is normally up to the buyer to return it. A refund less towing seems fair, and maybe even less damages if you can prove it was his fault. Except you took it back...

i should have read the whole thread before posting eh?
agree.

[Conquiztador]

i should have read the whole thread before posting eh?
agree.

The sale was completed on a Saturday and the change of ownership was not completed before I towed it back. No rego or COF and still in our name was the reason I had it towed back. He has paid the $6K in to my account and he has the reciept for the purcahse.

I am OK'ish to have it back. I will re-sell it. But I have no plan to refund the full $6K.

[ktm]

The sale was completed on a Saturday and the change of ownership was not completed before I towed it back. No rego or COF and still in our name was the reason I had it towed back. He has paid the $6K in to my account and he has the reciept for the purcahse.

I am OK'ish to have it back. I will re-sell it. But I have no plan to refund the full $6K.

Seems fair enough to me, the purchaser chose to drive it.....

[SS90]

Am I the only one that thinks $1,900 is slightly expensive?

[sidecar bob]

Do you rekon you would get your money back if you behaved like this moron.
It comes back to the old story these days, make a fucked up decision & blame somebody else for it & accept no personal responsibility.
Tell him to whistle fuckin dixie for his money.

[tigertim20]

The sale was completed on a Saturday and the change of ownership was not completed before I towed it back. No rego or COF and still in our name was the reason I had it towed back. He has paid the $6K in to my account and he has the reciept for the purcahse.

I am OK'ish to have it back. I will re-sell it. But I have no plan to refund the full $6K.

change of ownership can be done online.
might sound harsh, but if you arent foresightfull enough to make sure that the ownership stuff is done BEFORE the vehicle that leaves your sight, then any clusterfuck that happens later is your own fault, as it was avoidable.

Id suggest offering him 3.5k back, with explanation that the other 2.5 covers towing costs, and YOUR time and costs etc.

Either that or he can refund you 1.9k and come pick the fuckin thing up. After the damage from himdriving it, it will have devalued further.

[FJRider]

The sale was completed on a Saturday and the change of ownership was not completed before I towed it back. No rego or COF and still in our name was the reason I had it towed back. He has paid the $6K in to my account and he has the reciept for the purcahse.

I am OK'ish to have it back. I will re-sell it. But I have no plan to refund the full $6K.

IF HE HAS RECIEPT OF PURCHASE ... YOU CHANGE THE OWNERSHIP INTO HIS NAME ...

(Get a copy of that that reciept if you haven't already)

[sidecar bob]

Change the ownership into his name, give him a full refund & then abandon it in the short term parking at the International Airport.