Lien Into Your Customers’ Requests

My wife and I have decided on a car to purchase for her. We make the deal with the salesman and are sent to the finance office to finish the transaction.

Employee: “You do want the title to have both of your names on it as ‘and/or’, correct?”

Me: “No. Just ‘or’.”

Employee: “I think you really should have it titled ‘and/or’.”

Me: “Just ‘or’.”

Employee: “Are you sure? Everyone has it ‘and/or’.”

Me: “Since I’m not everyone, just ‘or’.”

Employee: “Well, okay.”

We leave with the car. A week later, we get the title in the mail and there is a lienholder listed. And it is titled “and/or” in our names.

Back to the dealership we go, angry.

Employee: “What can I do for you today?”

Me: “You can correct the title to the car we bought last week. First, I told you to title our name with just ‘or’, not ‘and/or’.”

Employee: “I thought it was better the way I titled it.”

Me: “Not that I should have to explain, but in a passing conversation with my attorney friend, he said the ‘or’ takes priority over the ‘and’ and makes it unnecessary. And, because we paid your owner for the car, you should abide by our wishes. Secondly, you have a lienholder listed and there is not a lien on the car.”

Employee: “Well, you called your bank while you were in my office, so I assumed there was a lien with the bank the check was written on.”

Me: “Did you ask me? No. Did I tell you there was a lien? No.”

Employee: “Then, how did you buy the car without a lien?”

Me: “Although it is really none of your business, haven’t you ever had anyone buy a car and pay cash?”

I later found out that he called our bank to verify that there was no lien on the car.

I couldn’t wait to deal with him again when I traded my truck off the next year, but alas, the dealership went out of business before I got the chance.