False Imprisonment Lawsuit Filed by Auto Fraud Attorneys

Whitney, LLP’s auto fraud attorneys sued a car dealership for false imprisonment after they blocked in a new car that their customer had purchased two months before, had the title, and had already begun making payments on.  Prior to this, the general manager had asked our client to sign a confidential release based on allegations our client had made, but our client refused. It was not until our client called the police and two officers were dispatched to the dealership, that the general manager finally agreed to move the pickup truck that was used to block our client in.

If you are looking for an auto fraud attorney near me, Whitney, LLP’s auto fraud lawyers help buyers deal with car dealership problems and represent car buyers across Maryland in a variety of cases.  We help car buyers unwind bad deals and recover compensation. We offer Legal Consultations. Call us at 410 583 8000, or use our Quick Contact Form online.

If you are looking for an auto fraud lawyer near me to deal with car dealership problems, here are the 10 most common schemes at Maryland car dealerships that Whitney, LLP’s lawyers help our clients with. If you feel the dealer cheated you, call us to discuss your legal rights with a Legal Consultation.

False Imprisonment at Car Dealerships

In Maryland, false imprisonment is defined as the intentional restriction without legal justification of the freedom of movement of a person who is aware of the restriction and who does not consent.  In this case, our client alleged that blocking her truck in, and refusing to allow her to drive it to leave the dealership, was an intentional restriction.

When car dealerships have disputes about money they want the customer to pay, or documents they want the customer to sign, dealerships are required to follow the law.  However, some dealership attempt to take the law into their own hands, which often ends up with the buyer filing a lawsuit and the dealership being sued for false imprisonment.

Examples of False Imprisonment

Dealerships are not allowed to take a customer’s keys, block their car or truck in, refuse to let them leave, make excuses why they cannot leave, pretend to lose a customer’s keys, or refuse to return a potential trade-in if a deal for a new car has not yet been completed while the customer is waiting.  All of these examples may be considered to be false imprisonment, and can result in significant compensation for the buyer who was trapped, blocked in or imprisoned.

When Car Dealerships Have Customers Falsely Arrested

While it sounds crazy, some car dealerships have even brought false criminal charges against their customers that caused the customer to be arrested, jailed and imprisoned.

In one example, a car buyer stopped payment on a check after a used car she bought broke down right after she bought it.  The car dealership filed criminal charges against her, which caused her to arrested and detained for approximately 8 hours.  The buyer filed a lawsuit against the dealership and the bank, alleging malicious prosecution, outrageous conduct,  and false imprisonment and settled her case for $49,000.  Whitney, LLP did not represent that car buyer in that case.

Whitney, LLP’s false imprisonment lawyers represent buyers when a car dealership files false criminal charges against them that cause the buyer to be arrested, charged or detained.

Daniel W. Whitney, Sr. and Daniel W. Whitney, Jr. of Whitney, LLP

Auto Fraud False Imprisonment and False Arrest Lawyers Near Me

If you have been the victim of a car dealership’s false imprisonment or wrongful arrest based on bogus charges, or need a lawyer to deal with car dealership problems, the attorneys at Whitney, LLP are here to help for cases arising in Maryland.

We offer Legal Consultations. Call us at 410 583 8000, or use our Quick Contact Form online.