Buying a new car is supposed to feel like a fresh start. For one Florida man, it turned into a financial hit that slammed the brakes on a new chapter of his life. A dealership’s failure to follow a basic state law didn’t just cost him peace of mind. It wrecked his credit and forced him to abandon plans to buy a home.
Oliver Mendoza moved from Spain to Orlando just over a year ago to coach soccer. In April, he traded in his Tesla Model Y at Benji Auto Sales on Orange Blossom Trail and bought another vehicle.
Under Florida law, dealerships must pay off a trade-in loan within 10 business days
But months later, Mendoza says the dealership still hadn’t done it.
He called repeatedly and got nowhere. The unpaid loan racked up four missed payments, and his bank held him responsible.
Mendoza’s once-healthy credit score in the mid-700s nosedived to 565
A repossession notice followed. And the house he was preparing to buy? That deal collapsed, too…