Legal Topics

Torts — Conversion — Automobile dealership’s removal of finance company’s valid lien on trade-in vehicle through submission of forged lien satisfaction form to Department of Motor Vehicles and subsequent sale of vehicle to innocent purchaser constitutes conversion

May 10th, 2022 in by admin

Torts — Conversion — Automobile dealership’s removal of finance company’s valid lien on trade-in vehicle through submission of forged lien satisfaction form to Department of Motor Vehicles and subsequent sale of vehicle to innocent purchaser constitutes conversion — Damages — Proper measure of damages for conversion is fair market value of vehicle, not merely remaining payment owed on vehicle — Exception to general rule of damages for common law conversion, holding that one who has special interest in converted property can only recover value of interest in property, is not applicable where dealership and finance company were never in privity of contract