F: Soe .
times, turn_the taps.on and _
off then hand over a wad of

money in exchange for the -

keys to your new house?
Of course not. But
thousands of people j just kick

block ‘ tooting the horn
before exchanging — large
amounts of cash or in-
debtedness for ownership of
“Lady drvn, lo mi's, . real
creampuff, cheap.” -

Automobiles, like houses, .

are expensive registered
chattels and proof that the
chances of making a castly
mistake are higher than most
people realize is evidenced
in the fat complaint files of
the B.C. Automobile
Associaton and consumer
organizations.

CONSIDER THE

REAL LEMON
If you, through ignorance
or haste, buy a -.shrivelled,
mouldy lemon, the grocery
store isn’t obliged to refund
your money; you get what
you pay for. Most consumers
are aware that the store's
reputation and their own
jugement are all
protects them: against lousy
lemons. Same for used cars:
Unless the seller in-
tentionally misrepresents,

(and this must be proven) the ~

vehicle you buy is your own
lemon or creampuff.

The auto club here an-

swers some of the more
common questions about
buying a used. car:
1. If I buy a car then
discover it’s too small for my
needs do I have 72 hours to
cancel the sale and gef my
money back?

*No. Once you sign the
transfer document — called

an APV9C — and pay for the .

car, you own it. You must be
certain before agrecing to
purchase that the vehicle is
suitable for your transporta-
tion needs and is in good
condition.

the tires, drive around the

that.

pay y for repains? .
*Only if the seller. stated
(and you have this -promise

in writing or have a reliable —

witness to verify) the trans-
mission was in excellent

‘condition. Unless otherwise _

. agreed on, vehicles are sold
“asis.”

.. Fhe BCAA strongly ad-
vises a thorough vehicle
inspection. either through
their service or by a
mechanic before buying a
car. You can draw an in-
terim agreement stating:
“Sold, subject to mechanic's
approval” with the seller,
even a motor dealer.

3. T put a.$100 deposit ona
car. Two days later when I
went to pay the balance the
salesman said the car had
been sold. Can I force them
to provide the car I con-
tracted to purchase?

*No, not unless. the

- deposit was made under very

specific written conditions
i.e. purchase subject to
mechanic’s approval by 9
a.m. May 23, 1980. Make
sure the seller has a copy of

the deposit agreement. Even

then, there is little recourse

wey

AUTO BRAKE LTD.

° Brakes

-® Wheel Balancing

e Shocks

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.

and th Police have dase

to take if |the car is sold
except for .refund of the
deposit. When you place a
deposit on a car in most
cases it is not refundable if
you decide not to buy, unless
the car does not live up to
promises.

4. I bought a car privately

. informed me it is a stolen

car. How-do I get my money

back? ;
' ©The’ only recourse you

have is to take the seller to
court to get your money
back. No matter who pays
how much money for it, a
stolen car is the property of
the person from whom it was
stolen.

5. What is a lein and how do
Icheck it? —

*A lein is registration of
an encumbrance (unpaid
debt) against a vehicle. For
example, if a repair bill is not
paid .a mechanic can put a
mechanic’s lein on a vehicle
and has the right ot seize the
car if the bill is not paid, no
matter who owns it. Banks
usually register a lein if a

joan is made for a car. Leins

should be paid off before a
car is offered for sale, but in
the case of a bank lein which
would be paid off only after
the sale of the car, make the

NORTH VAN

SPECIALISTS IN

e Suspensions
e Alignments
e McPherson Struts

985-8705
1175.W. 15TH ST.

(Just east of Pemberton)

° Insurance claims e Restoration work ¢ All Work Guaranteod
¢ Complete repaints includes remetaling for rust
° Free estimates

Peter Brand Motors Ltd.

1519 Clyde Ave., West Vancouver, 922-3231
We like to keep a good thing going
We are Open Mon-Fri. 8-5 p.m.

cheque payable to the seller

and bank. the Motor Vehicle

Branch will inform you if.
there is_a lein on a car you
wish to purchase — the fee is.
$2.00 and the service usually
takes up to two days. Private
lein search firms provide
faster service at greater cost.

One caution: A lein may
be registered after you check
and before ownership is
transferred. To further
protect yourself, have the
seller sign a statement (give
them a copy) promising the
car has no leins Fegistered
against it.

6. The salesman told me the
car was roadworthy when I

bought it. Two days later I

scraped the fender and
discovered a lot of bondo in
the body. What can I do?

*“Certificate of Road-
worthiness” is not an
assurance the car is
mechanically sound. It states
only that the car meets
minimum legal requirements
for such components as
brakes, lights, horns,
steering, windshield wipers
and glass and can therefore
be licensed. The car could
still have serious faults.

7. When I bought this car —
privately — the seller said if

anything went wrong within |

a month he'd-split the repair
bill. Well, the car needs
about $200 worth of work.
When I phoned him, he said
“caveat emptor” and hung
up. Can I take him to court? |
*Unless the promise was in
writing or you have a reliable
witness to the statement
there is.a poor chance of a
favourable court settlement.

Dave (The Brake Doctor,

Shine Line

‘Get The Cadillac Treatment...

15% on

986-1231

. “ a a
5 5. 6 et 3, oe ae
(Sa. copes” oe dg

Sort
B1l-Sunday News, April 6, 1988 -

eo

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