Civil damages for odometer violations
If someone cheats on an odometer reading when selling a car, the person who got cheated can sue them in court. The cheater has to pay either three times the real money lost or $2,500 — whichever is more — plus the winner's lawyer costs. The lawsuit has to be filed within two years. A seller is not on the hook if a previous owner messed with the odometer and the seller had no idea.
407.546. for violations — . — 1. Any person who, with , violates any of the of sections 407.511 to 407.556 shall be in civil damages to the purchaser or owner of the motor vehicle in an amount equal to three times the amount of or two thousand five hundred dollars, whichever is the greater, and, in the case of any successful to the created by this section, the costs of the action together with reasonable as determined by the court.
2. An action to enforce any liability created by 1 of this section may be brought in the where the resides or may be found or where the of the ownership of the motor vehicle occurred, within two years from the date on which the liability arises.
3. Nothing contained in this section shall authorize a or against the of a motor vehicle, the odometer of which has been altered or tampered with by a previous owner, unless the seller knew or should have known of this alteration or .
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Source & history notes
(L. 1983 S.B. 9, A.L. 1986 H.B. 1153, A.L. 1988 H.B. 1581) Effective 7-01-89
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