A Maryland man says he spent nearly two months driving a brand-new car without ever owning it. It may be the longest test drive ever.<\/p>\n
TikTok user Kobe (@product1k) explained what happened in a recent video.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix months ago, I drove a brand-new car,\u201d he says. He drove it for 50 days without technically owning it.<\/p>\n
Kobe said he had been shopping for a vehicle when he found one he loved and bought it \u201cnot knowing what the heck I got myself into.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Kobe, the dealership did not have all the paperwork ready at the time of sale, so it issued him temporary tags and registration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t own the car,\u201d he writes in the video\u2019s text overlay.<\/p>\n
Kobe says the vehicle still had a lien from its previous owner and that the dealership had not paid it off before selling him the car. He said the dealership didn\u2019t disclose the lien, which delayed their ability to transfer the title and registration into his name.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was driving a car that I didn\u2019t own the rights to,\u201d Kobe says.<\/p>\n
After researching consumer protection and vehicle registration<\/a> rules, Kobe says he learned that dealerships have a limited window to submit a buyer\u2019s paperwork to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA).<\/p>\n \u201cNow this is for Maryland,\u201d Kobe says. \u201cI don\u2019t know about other states.\u201d<\/p>\n He claims the dealership had 30 days after the sale to submit the paperwork. Although temporary tags<\/a> may remain valid longer, Kobe says the dealership did not send his documents to the MVA until around the 60-day mark.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo months I could\u2019ve returned the car to the dealership and got my check back,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Kobe says he ultimately filed a complaint with the MVA. He also suggests the dealership\u2019s general manager could lose his job over the situation and notes that he could have put thousands of miles on the car before returning it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you buy a car from these sleazy salesmen, make sure you are getting a good deal. Make sure you are getting all of your paperwork,\u201d Kobe says.<\/p>\n As of this writing, his clip has over 10,000 views.<\/p>\n Did The Dealership Break Maryland Law?<\/p>\n Kobe\u2019s explanation lines up with Maryland\u2019s rules. When a dealership in the state sells a vehicle, it generally handles the title application for the buyer. The Maryland MVA<\/a> says that process requires proof of ownership from the dealer and any applicable lien information, among various other things. Missing or incomplete documents can delay the title transfer.<\/p>\n A lingering lien can create that kind of problem. The MVA advises buyers to confirm that a title is free of liens unless one will be released as part of the sale. Its vehicle buying guidance<\/a> also warns that title errors or unresolved liens can prevent the agency from processing the transfer.<\/p>\n Kobe is also right about the deadline to complete a sale as well.<\/p>\n Maryland dealers generally have 30 days<\/a> after a sale to finish the transaction and send the title paperwork to the MVA. Dealers can face penalties when those documents arrive late<\/a>.<\/p>\n