Florida man called 911 thinking his Yukon SUV was stolen — it had been repossessed before he’d made a single payment

Sumlin called the police, who told him that his car had been repossessed. But his first payment wasn’t due until October 25; the car was repossessed on October 6.

This left Sumlin without a car. It also left him without vital possessions, which were in the car when it was taken.

“My driver’s license, my wallet, debit card, my work badge” were all in the car when it was taken, Sumlin told First Coast News.

Here’s what led to Sumlin’s car being taken — and what you can do to protect yourself from similar problems when you buy a used car.

His car was repossessed because of a lien

The car was repossessed because there was a lien on it before Sumlin bought it. Whenever you buy a car with a lien, you’re required to pay off that lien. If you don’t, that car can legally be repossessed.

Sumlin wasn’t told that the car had a lien on it because the dealership he bought it from, Duval Ford, didn’t know it was there.

“In this instance, Duval Ford was the victim of fraud which then caused an inconvenience to a customer,” said the dealership to First Coast News.

The dealership wasn’t the one to repossess the car — the car loan provider, Santander Consumer, was.

Luckily for Sumlin, the dealership was able to make things right. He was able to get his personal items back, and the dealership provided him with a new vehicle. It’s now up to the dealership to deal with the repossessed car, and they’ve already reached out to law enforcement to get to the bottom of things.

How to make sure you aren’t the victim of car fraud

If you’re in the market for a used car, you could accidentally find yourself in a similar situation to Sumlin. If you’re not buying the car from a trustworthy seller, your story likely won’t end as happily as his.