A second lawsuit was filed against Sheehy Hyundai in Waldorf, Maryland alleging forgery and fraud involving our client, a 24-year-old man, in connection with his purchase and finance of his first new car, a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. This is the second lawsuit Whitney, LLP filed against Sheehy Hyundai on behalf of a customer alleging their signature was forged and the terms of their deal changed without their knowledge or permission. Sheehy Hyundai disputes the allegations discussed in this blog post. Read about both lawsuits below.
Whitney, LLP’s attorneys provide a Free Car Contract Review to Sheehy customers.
If you purchased a new or used vehicle from Sheehy Hyundai, or any other dealership, in the last five years and suspect something is wrong or you were treated unfairly, or want a free review of your contract documents by an experienced attorney, Whitney, LLP will review your contract free of charge. We will review your documents for free to determine if there were unlawful practices.
Whitney, LLP’s lawyers find forgeries in about 1 out of every 5 auto finance contracts we review for our clients and potential clients. We help car buyers file lawsuits, fight back, and sue car dealerships across Maryland. We can often unwind bad deals and recover compensation for car buyers who were treated unfairly. Use our Online Quick Contact Form, or call us at 410 583 8000.
The First Alleged Forgery and Fraud Case Against Sheehy Hyundai
The first lawsuit Whitney, LLP filed against Sheehy Hyundai in Waldorf alleging forgery and fraud involved a 63 year old woman whose signature was allegedly forged numerous times. Without her permission, her monthly payment was increased by about $27/month from $459 to $487 in order for the dealer to make an additional profit of about $1,500. That case settled for $50,000 – read about the case, see the evidence and watch Whitney, LLP’s short video on car dealer forgery and fraud. Of course, all cases are different, and past results do not guarantee future results.
The Second Alleged Forgery and Fraud Case Against Sheehy Hyundai
The second alleged forgery case filed on June 15, 2020 also involves the purchase of a 2019 Hyundai Elantra. A young man buying his first car went to Sheehy Hyundai to buy a new car. As part of the deal he purchased GAP Insurance, Sheehy VIP Club and a Service Contract/Extended Warranty to protect his investment.
The lawsuit alleges that, without his knowledge, Sheehy Hyundai changed his monthly payment by approximately $90/month, and removed the GAP Insurance, Sheehy VIP Club and Service Contract/Extended Warranty that he paid for, and sent the second contract to the finance company.
Attorney Daniel W. Whitney, Jr. Discusses the Signs of Car Contract Forgery and Fraud
Six Signs of Car Contract Forgery and Fraud
If you purchased a car from any new or used dealer, and the terms of your finance contract or terms on the monthly statement from the bank are different than what you agreed to at the dealership, your signature may have been forged and fraud may have been committed.
The Six Signs of Car Contract Forgery and Fraud:
- Monthly Payments are different, either higher or lower;
- Interest rate is different, either higher or lower;
- Loan amount is different, either higher or lower;
- The term to pay off the loan is longer or shorter, for example you agreed to 60 months but the monthly statement says 72 months;
- GAP Insurance or Extended Warranty claims are denied and you are told that the policy was not paid for, even though you bought it;
- You do not receive your first monthly bill for more than 30 days.
If any of these things happened to you, you may have been the victim of car dealership fraud. Whitney, LLP’s lawyers help victims of dealer fraud unwind bad deals and recover compensation.
Compensation for Victims of Forgery and Fraud
Whitney, LLP’s auto fraud lawyers represent car buyers who are victims of forgery, fraud, hidden damage and other deceptive practices. We have experience recovering compensation for car buyer in bad deals, including:
- Unwinding the deal and returning a car;
- Getting the full down payment back;
- Compensation for hidden damage and accidents;
- Fixing increased monthly statement;
- Removing unauthorized credit inquiries;
- Emotional distress; and
- The dealership paying our attorney’s fees.
Our clients in forgery and fraud cases have their attorney’s fees paid out of compensation we recover from the dealership. For your Legal Consultation, use our Online Quick Contact Form, or call us at 410 583 8000, and we will be in touch quickly to discuss your claims.
Dealer Keeps the Down Payment When Financing Not Approved
Generally, another common scheme involves Spot Delivery. Spot Delivery is when a dealer lets a customer drive off the lot with the new car before financing is approved. After the customer takes delivery, the dealer has only 4 days to let the customer know, in writing, if financing has not been approved. Maryland’s Spot Delivery law has strict requirements that dealers usually fail to comply with.
If financing was not approved, the dealer must:
- Allow the customer to return the car;
- Return the trade-in;
- Return 100% of the down payment; and
- Not charge any fees for mileage, inspections or depreciation.
If financing was not approved, the dealer must not:
- keep any of the downpayment;
- force the customer to buy another car; or
- force the customer to accept worse financing terms, such as increasing the price, higher interest rates or a larger down payment.
Many dealers do not comply with these laws, and try to keep down payments and charge other fees. Or, they try to force the customer to put down a larger down payment, charge a higher interest rate, or change the terms. The customer has the right to get their money back and return the car.
Whitney, LLP’s auto fraud attorneys have experience making dealerships return down payments after they illegally keep them. Maryland law allows the for the dealership to have to pay for all reasonable legal fees in connection with the customer’s claim.
Whitney, LLP Represents Car Buyers Against Dealerships
Recovering money and seeking justice from a dealership, without a lawyer, can be a frustrating cycle of being ignored and having your complaints down played. When a car buyer is represented by Whitney, LLP, dealerships are held accountable.
If you think you may have been a victim of unfair practices at a car dealership, call Whitney, LLP at 410 583 8000 for your Legal Consultation or use our Online Quick Contact Form, and we will be in touch.
