CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In June, a man bought a used car, but still hadn't received the title.
He called the Troubleshooters for help.
We spoke with a man, who while not involved in any way with the transaction, offered to help.
Wait till you see how this turned out within a matter of just three hours earlier today.
11 o'clock this morning:
We met Brian Winfrey.
He showed us the 2006 Jeep Commander he bought, as is, from Mad Dog Motors on South Padre Island Drive.
He paid nearly $6300 dollars for it, cash.
But he wound up paying approximately $3000 more — out of his own pocket — to fix problems it had, as he found out when he took it in for new tires.
"Your tail lights are out and it's got a bad exhaust leak on the passenger's side," Winfrey recalled. "And it will not pass emissions and it will not pass inspection."
But that's not when Winfrey said he called the Troubleshooters.
He said he called us because on Aug. 16, nearly two moths after he bought the vehicle, he still hadn't received the title.
"I've been waiting on my title 'cause I've been told I would get the title in two days. Then I've been checking every two weeks. And then they keep saying 'it's lost.' It's in California somewhere. Then it's finally revealed he got the car from another dealer here in town that didn't have the title."
Around noon today, we spoke with a man named Nicholas Roggy, who rents office space to Daniel Ariail, owner of Mad Dog Motors.
He offered to help Winfrey.
Remember, Roggy is in no way involved in this transaction.
At 12:30 p.m. Winfrey called the Troubleshooters.
Daniel Ariail was going to buy the vehicle back from Winfrey at 2 p.m.
And at 2 p.m., Ariail and Winfrey met at Ariail's office on SPID, and Ariail handed Winfrey a check for nearly $11,000.
Done deal.
The Troubleshoorters asked Ariail, "Why are you doing this? Why are you stepping up like this to help a customer?"
"Why would I not? Sold him the car. Don't have the title yet," he said.
"How about you Mr. Winfrey?" We asked.
"I'm satisfied. He treated me right. He did what he said he would do. I recommend people coming and seeing Daniel," Winfrey said.
Delays in getting titles issued is nothing new in the Coastal Bend and to the Troubleshooters.
Nueces County tax Assessor Collector Kevin Kieschnick has advised us numerous times about why some dealerships delay submitting the title paperwork.
It involves money.
