End of Auto Lease

[dreamgina]

My auto lease expired on April 30th 2002. I opted not to purchase the vehicle because the price was too high. The collateral damage appraisal was done, everything checked out fine, and the car is ready to be picked up. Problem is, we have not heard anything from the leasing company, and the car is still here. I want to charge the leasing company storage, as this is no longer my car and it has been sitting on my property for 5 days now. Who knows how long it will be here. Can I charge a storage fee, and if so, how do I go about it?? I live in AZ, lease was signed in PA.
Thanks for any advice,
Dreamgina

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My auto lease expired on April 30th 2002. I opted not to purchase the vehicle because the price was too high. The collateral damage appraisal was done, everything checked out fine, and the car is ready to be picked up. Problem is, we have not heard anything from the leasing company, and the car is still here. I want to charge the leasing company storage, as this is no longer my car and it has been sitting on my property for 5 days now. Who knows how long it will be here. Can I charge a storage fee, and if so, how do I go about it?? I live in AZ, lease was signed in PA.
Thanks for any advice,
Dreamgina

My response:

If I were you, I'd carefully reread my lease contract. There may be a clause in the contract obligating YOU to return the vehicle - - even though they may have told you that they would pick up the car. If there is such a clause (and, I suspect there is), there is probably a daily rate they are charging you for keeping the vehicle beyond the due date, and you'd have no way to prove their verbal promise to you that they were going to pick it up themselves.

Also, have you made them a counteroffer, say 25% less than their "asking price"? Remember, everything is negotiable and they just might accept your offer because it saves them from storing, advertising, and rewriting a contract for the vehicle - - among other tax advantages for them.

Let me know.

IAAL

 

[dreamgina]

Thanks for such a speedy reply. We talked via phone a month before the lease expired, and I have the person's name and ext and the date we talked. The rep stated that they would come here with a flatbed truck to take it away after the collateral damage appraisal was done. I've just read the contract, which states that if I do not buy the vehicle, I will return it to a place that they specify (which they have not done).
Yes, I made them an offer to buy which was a good one; just a few hundred dollars below blue book, as I took into consideration the $ that they would have to spend in getting the vehicle ready for resale; they refused the offer and came back with an offer that was ridiculously too high.
Thanks again,
dreamgina

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Thanks for such a speedy reply. We talked via phone a month before the lease expired, and I have the person's name and ext and the date we talked. The rep stated that they would come here with a flatbed truck to take it away after the collateral damage appraisal was done. I've just read the contract, which states that if I do not buy the vehicle, I will return it to a place that they specify (which they have not done).
Yes, I made them an offer to buy which was a good one; just a few hundred dollars below blue book, as I took into consideration the $ that they would have to spend in getting the vehicle ready for resale; they refused the offer and came back with an offer that was ridiculously too high.
Thanks again,
dreamgina

My response:

Okay, so you talked to someone at the leasing agency. You still have no proof of your conversation. So, I want you to think logically about this.

You have a contract obligating you to return the vehicle. You agreed to that. Do you really believe that "flat bed" is actually going to show up at your house in AZ ? If you do, then I've got some beachfront property in AZ I think you might be interested in buying too !

Here's what's going to happen - - first, they are charging you a daily rate. Second, after 30 days, the car will be reported "stolen."

Did you really believe they were going to spend the money to transport the car from AZ to PA ?

IAAL

 

[dreamgina]

I'll let you know what happens when I talk to these people tomorrow.
dreamgina

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

I'll let you know what happens when I talk to these people tomorrow.
dreamgina

My response:

Well . . . ?

It's now "tomorrow" - - so, what happened when you called?

IAAL

 

[dreamgina]

Thought I'd wait until the car was picked up before I responded.
The flatbed truck just drove away with the car.
When I called the leasing co. they said they were waiting for the info from the collateral damage co. (separate co. located in Flagstaff). Whatever; arrangements were made for the car to be picked up today. There are no further charges, daily or otherwise.
The car is being trxported to Phoenix, as the leasing co. is a nationwide co. which operates in most states. Thank you for your interest in this matter.

Civility always,
dreamgina

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Thought I'd wait until the car was picked up before I responded.
The flatbed truck just drove away with the car.
When I called the leasing co. they said they were waiting for the info from the collateral damage co. (separate co. located in Flagstaff). Whatever; arrangements were made for the car to be picked up today. There are no further charges, daily or otherwise.
The car is being trxported to Phoenix, as the leasing co. is a nationwide co. which operates in most states. Thank you for your interest in this matter.

Civility always,
dreamgina

My response:

Excellent - - but, you were lucky. You never mentioned, until now, that it was a "nationwide company" (it could have been a local, "Mom & Pop", leasing agency), and despite that fact, they could still have held your hand to the fire to make you return the vehicle at your own expense.

But, all's well that ends well.

Thanks for coming back with the epilog to this story.

IAAL