Thanks this seems like it spells out some legalities of which I was unaware. I'll pass it on to the EV1 group, as I know some folks there have been wondering aloud what they should do. I'm sure some will dispute your ideas about the law, as is always the case in these conversations. Nonetheless it seems worth discussing.
It's not clear to me whether anyone yet has offered to buy the car for large sums of money. I think I heard this about Jay Leno, but it's not sure. If the process plays out as you describe, and if there are folks willing to pay substantial sums to keep a working EV1, I'm not sure GM would want this known (as part of an official public court record). However, I have been told by at least one person that they are concerned about liability for the vehicle, which I think they would argue goes beyond what pretty much anyone would offer to pay them. I'm not sure how to respond to that. jl > >The only way one MIGHT be able to retain a leased EV-1, would be to wait until the >lease expired and they contacted you. You then tell >them you do not want to return the vehicle, you want to keep it. > >GM, of course, will say no, you must return it. You say you want to keep it and are >willing to purchase the vehicle off-lease. Eventually, >they will file a legal complaint in court, and you would end up in court involving a >property dispute. (you would be advised to hide the >vehicle during this process, as they could quite legally repossess it) > >Property disputes in court usually end up with the court ordering one side to either >return the property or make the other party "whole" >by paying compensation. One could offer to the court that you are perfectly willing >to pay the compensation. The fact that GM would >crush the car if they regained possession would weaken their case for return of >property instead of compensation. If the court ruled that >GM must accept the compensation, then they would be required to deliver to you a >clean title. > >If you got this far, and the argument is then only about the amount of compensation, >the fact that GM planned on crushing the vehicle >would also come in quite handy in determining the value. > >You've got to tell the truth throughout the process to keep it legal. > > >Vince >
