Bristol couple left stranded after car towed away

An elderly couple have been left unable to travel to care for their disabled daughter after their car was seized by a finance company.

Brian and Shirley Girling were stunned when a credit firm arrived at their home in Knowle and took away the second-hand Volvo they bought for £1,300 seven months ago.

The pair, both 73, were told by representatives of the credit company that the previous owner of the vehicle had sold it on before paying for it outright by meeting finance agreement payments.

The Girlings have now been left without a car to travel to Ashton to care for their daughter, who has multiple sclerosis and cancer.

They have been caring for the 48-year-old mother of three for the past 16 years and have been forced to pay for taxis to reach her every day. The Girlings say the dealership where they bought the car, Blackswarth Road Car Sales in Blackswarth Road, has not offered them their money back.

Mr and Mrs Girlings' other daughter, Tracey Watkins, said it was a big setback for the family.

She said: "Bailiffs came around on Sunday and showed us documents which showed the car still belongs to the finance people. We gave them the keys and they drove it away.

"We had no idea of the history of the car when we bought it on the forecourt. We've spoken to the garage and they are saying it's our fault we bought the car. We've spoken to the finance company and they've said they would hold the car for a month before putting it up for auction."

Simon Furnival, of Mobile Money, the credit company which took away the Girlings' car, said there was a finance agreement in place on the Volvo which had not been paid by a previous owner.

He said: "Most garages carry out checks before they buy cars to make sure they are clear of finance. We would expect the car dealer to look after the customer in this case. If this is something which can be resolved and we can help the people innocently caught up in this we will."

Bristol's Trading Standards department says garages selling used vehicles should always carry out a proper check, known as a HPI check, to ensure there are no outstanding debts on the vehicles they buy to sell.

Penny Beynon, at Bristol's Trading Standards department, said a previous owner of the car had bought it under a 'bill of sale' finance agreement, which means the credit company was within is rights to seize the car from the Girlings.

She said: "The couple have a claim against the seller of the vehicle (the garage) but whether they will get their money back is another matter. The basic thing they have done wrong is they have not carried out a HPI check to find out if the person they bought from had the right to sell the car.

"Mr and Mrs Girling are entitled to get back the full price they paid for the car. If the garage does not pay, they could sue the garage through the county courts."

When the Bristol Evening Post contacted Blackswarth Road Car Sales, a staff member said he could not comment.