Signals from bona fide buyers who were left without their cars after the police confiscated them continue. The reason is that the cars turn out to be internationally wanted, as they are leased abroad, reports Nova TV.
During registration with the traffic police, the cars are not wanted, so they pass through there without any problems. After the sale and the suspension of payment of lease installments abroad, they are declared wanted, and thus they end up being blocked for new bona fide buyers.
The prosecutor's office is calling on buyers to seek their rights through the courts. Only the court can decide whether to return their car.
A young family says that they bought their car after an ad on the website of an authorized representative. 4 years ago, Velina Hristova and her husband were expecting their third child and decided to buy a suitable car for it. They came across an ad on the website of an authorized representative and went there.
„We went to see if the car would work for us. We measured the three seats, adjusted them, and decided to take it”, says Velina.
„It was a second-hand car, 29,000 kilometers, about 2 years old, still under warranty, with full service. We hoped to be able to get it before our third child”, says Kaloyan Kapralov.
They paid 35,000 leva by bank transfer. They drove for a while, even leaving Bulgaria. Once, however, a pebble hit the windshield and cracked it.
“To fix this, we went back to the authorized representative's service center”, the family says.
The repair was delayed and eventually they were told the bad news.
“We sent a request to the official brand and they said back that the car's frame number had been blocked and the car was declared an international wanted list. Right after we left there, we were all in shock, including the company itself. They were also surprised. After we left there, we received a call from an inspector from the State Security Service”, the victims say.
The very next day they responded to the call and voluntarily handed over the car, documents and keys to the State Security Service. “They couldn't tell us much at the time, we found out that the car was being driven away”, says Velina.
“What we found out after letters to the institutions was that it was leased by a Bulgarian in a country in Central Europe, then brought to Bulgaria, where through unknown means at the traffic police it received a Bulgarian ticket for the same person, after which it found its way to the next owner, who called a representative of the brand, who offered to sell it on his behalf. In fact, the deal we concluded was between us and this second owner, a legal entity”, explains Kaloyan Kapralov.
The authorized representative indicated by the family sends a written position:
“Porsche Inter Auto BG“ EOOD acted solely as an intermediary, whose role was limited to connecting the seller of the car with potential buyers, without assuming any commitments or responsibilities in relation to the car itself.
According to the contract concluded between “Porsche Inter Auto BG“ EOOD and the seller of the car, the company undertook only to provide space in its showroom for the seller to display his car, as well as to inform each potential buyer about who the actual owner of the car is and to direct him directly to the seller for any additional information and possible conclusion of a transaction.
In the event that the buyer and the seller conclude a purchase and sale contract between themselves, without any participation of “Porsche Inter Auto BG“ EOOD and upon explicit order from the seller after receiving the sales price, the company can only carry out the actual transfer of the car to the buyer, as long as the car is in its showroom. Other commitments or responsibilities “Porsche Inter Auto BG“ EOOD has not assumed”.
The family's car is in a police parking lot. The SDVR told NOVA that a pre-trial investigation for fraud has been initiated, but refused to provide details of the investigation. It is most likely a case of falsification of documents, according to the data so far.
“In the pre-trial investigation, in addition to an individual, there is also a company that claims to be the owner – Bulgarian, a representative of a foreign company, and he claims that the car is his“, said Nikolay Nikolaev from the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office.
The family has made three requests to the prosecutor's office to have the car returned to them.
“Our appeal is for citizens who are in a similar situation to seek their rights through court. We cannot return the car. I had the same case as a prosecutor – after this car was not claimed for several years, out of good conscience I called the person who was inactive to encourage him to seek his rights, because the car will rot in the parking lot“, explained Nikolay Nikolaev.
In addition to the car rotting in the parking lot, Velina continues to pay tax on it.
“We also bought a new car. I cannot pay the tax on the new one if I don't pay on the old one“, explains Velina.