They Purchased Their Teen Daughter Her Dream Car, But the Police Came and Took It Back | Carscoops

      Purchasing a used car from a private seller carries certain risks, but there are measures you can take to safeguard yourself.

      Recently, a Toyota RAV4 was towed after law enforcement found out it had been reported stolen. Craig and Hannah Blanchard bought this vehicle from a seller in Dunedin, and despite its seizure, the girl’s parents continue to make payments on it.

      For seven months, a 16-year-old in Florida enjoyed driving the 2017 Toyota RAV4, a present from her parents, Craig and Hannah Blanchard. This significant milestone of owning her first car ended abruptly when deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office took it from the driveway. It turned out that it was flagged as stolen rather than being a simple paperwork error or a parking violation.

      The Blanchards purchased the RAV4 privately from Vasilios ‘Bill’ Ioannidis, who operates the local B&B Spyder Customs auto body shop. He had obtained the vehicle via a mechanic’s lien because the original owner failed to pay for repairs.

      An Expensive Lesson

      To finance the $17,000 SUV, the Blanchards utilized their home equity loan and paid via cashier’s checks. With the police seizing the Toyota, they are still obligated to make payments and manage ongoing insurance expenses.

      “It’s a payment for something we don’t have,” Craig Blanchard stated to WFLA. “Who wants to do that each month when I could be using that money for other purposes?”

      Ioannidis did not disclose how he acquired the title for the RAV4, but he claimed he was unaware it was stolen. The title has since been marked as ‘canceled’ by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Ioannidis has informed the family that if they are unable to retrieve the Toyota, he will refund the full $17,000 they paid.

      The Case for Caution in Used Car Purchases

      This incident underscores the dangers of buying a used car privately. While it can often result in significant savings, you do not receive the same protections that come with purchasing from an authorized dealer. Errors in paperwork, concealed histories, or, as in this instance, a stolen title can leave buyers responsible for a car they no longer possess. For anyone contemplating a private purchase, it is prudent to take additional steps, such as verifying the VIN and title with the DMV and obtaining a comprehensive vehicle history report from services like Carfax before finalizing the payment.