CORPUS CHRISTI – A woman insists she never signed for a car she took for a test drive 5 months ago. She doesn’t want it. Hasn’t made any payments on it. Yet it’s been sitting at her house all this time.
We visited the dealership. They claim she did sign for the car. And they have all the necessary paperwork to prove it. It’s her car
The lady’s name is Latena Koningverdraag. In September 2017 she went to Alfa Romeo-Fiat of Corpus Christi. She needed a new car. And test drove this 2017 Fiat. In the process she traded-in her 2006 KIA Optima.
She remembers her salesman’s name was Robert. And that he told her to come back Monday to complete the deal. but she insists she never signed anything that day. And when she went in to the dealership the following Monday, she found out something interesting about Robert.
"Oh, we had a temporary salesman, and he was from Chicago. He’s gone home now."
And as far as her trade-in, "he said we’ve auctioned off the Kia and you already have your car. We already sent the paperwork to the finance company. I’m like what paperwork? We didn’t fill anything out."
So she contacted the finance company and in the process of asking for proof of any and all paperwork with her signature, Latena’s sister Wiyona Evans told us someone at the finance company told her they were investigating the dealership.
"He said we’re trying to resolve this problem at the auto dealership. He said for improper paperwork," she recalled.
The sisters also told us the finance company told them the Fiat would be picked up 2 weeks ago. It was not. Latena says she hasn’t made a single payment on it because she doesn’t want it and didn’t sign for it.
On February 8th, the finance company notified her that her account on the Fiat was delinquent nearly $2500.00. But she and her sister claim neither the finance company, nor the dealership, have produced paperwork with Latena’s signature on them.
Our camera was rolling when the Troubleshooters went to the dealership to get their side of this story. The general manager Nate Arn said he’d talk to us, but not on camera. He says he has a complete set of paperwork with Koningverdraag’s signature. As far as he’s concerned she owns the Fiat. And can come in and talk with him about this.
We asked Nueces County Tax Assessor-Collector Kevin Kieschnick to weigh in. What can she do?
"Well the best thing for her to do is request copies of those documents from the Texas DMV over at the RTA building. And she can review those and then she can figure out probably for herself what her next steps should be," responded Kieschnick.
I asked Miss Koningverdraag about Arn’s claims that he has paperwork with her signature. She is adamant she didn’t sign anything. Kieschnick added that she can file a complaint against the dealership, plus find out about her trade-in at https://txdmv.secure.force.com/Complaint/
State law requires vehicles get titled within 30 days of purchase. If the purchaser hasn’t received plates and stickers within 30 days, Kieschnick suggests they better start asking questions.
