Florida Consumers Now Protected by Strong Curbstoning Legislation
Posted on Fri, Oct 08, 2010
Between 2008 and 2009, the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles “red-tagged” about 11,000 “for sale” vehicles that were reportedly parked illegally. Of those thousands, law enforcement towed … just 62 vehicles. That’s an enforcement rate of less than 0.6%.
Some of these cars were no doubt for sale by private parties who accidentally overstayed their welcome in popular parking spots.
Unfortunately, the majority of the vehicles were probably curbstoned – sold by unlicensed hustlers who make money buying cars that legitimate auto dealers wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, fixing them up to look good, and then flipping them for a profit. In fact, that’s why parking citations failed to deliver results – most curbstoners don’t have their “inventory” of vehicles titled or registered in their names.
The problem arises when the innocent buyer of a curbstoned vehicle learns that it was previously wrecked, flooded, or stolen. Then, at a minimum, they’ve lost the money they paid for the vehicle. They often find that they can’t get a clean title, registration, or even insurance. At worst, they get into an accident and discover, too late, that essential safety components, such as airbags, are missing.
Florida legislators, realizing that curbstoning posed a danger to the public, recently passed legislation that allows all enforcement officers to immediately tow vehicles that are illegally parked for sale. The curbstoner must pay a $100 fine to recover the vehicle, adding an incentive for municipalities to enforce the law consistently.
We are strong proponents of state curbstoning legislation that puts the financial burden on those conducting business illegally, instead of on cash-strapped cities. This law will help keep unlicensed dealers – and unsafe used vehicles – off the streets.