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Hello everyone,


My mother in law’s elderly boyfriend recently swapped out his current car lease for a new one in September.


For starters, I really don’t think it was a good idea for a 91-year-old man to start a new lease, but that’s not really the focal point here.


Last week, he told my mother-in-law that he didn’t remember how to get to the corner grocery store. This is somewhere they’ve gone hundreds of times in their relationship and is literally a half mile away. He has admitted to himself he can no longer drive...a month after he started the lease.


A couple of things here of note: the guys at this dealership totally effed him over with the price of the car to begin with, so they wouldn’t give two hoots about hoodwinking an old man with cognitive issues into signing a very bad deal. Not to mention he thought it was up in September not realizing he had a full year left on his current lease. Again, he has a memory issues and cognitive decline going on.


Here is the crux of it all and thanks for reading so far.


I want to know if there are any legal grounds for terminating the lease due to a dementia or even an Alzheimer’s diagnosis if it can be proven he was suffering at the time he signed this contract. Otherwise, he is stuck with a lease that no one in their right mind would buy him out of.


Thanks, all.

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I actually question if there has to be a ore-existing diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's.

I say this because of a case I was involved in concerning a car dealer.

in the court room, it finally came down to whether or not the buyer was capable of understanding the contract at the time it was signed. Because the buyer could be demonstrated to not understand sentences with multiple verbs and nouns...the jury could see the buyer didn't understand the contract. And that is a base requirement for a legal contract...that the buyer be capable of understanding it.

i believe that a lawyer going to court with him could easily demonstrate to a jury that he is not contractually competent.
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Many good responses here.

My take: Start with the dealership, and work your way from the salesman all the way up to the owner. Dealerships have several levels of management in the sales department, so it will take time and patience (and a lot of repeating yourself) to get through to the top.

The request to annul the contract should be made in writing as well as in person (give a copy of the letter to each person spoken to). Be firm, but pleasant and courteous, and don't mention an attorney or contacting your local news until you get somewhat up the chain. Record each person's name and the time/date you spoke with them.

If you get all the way to the owner and still don't get results, then it's time for that call to the local news station's consumer assistance line. If they can't help, you'll probably end up consulting an attorney. Hopefully it won't get to that stage.

And in the meantime, the aggrieved gentleman should visit a physician and be evaluated for cognitive disorders. A diagnosis, including an opinion of likely date of onset, will be the best evidence for action in his favor.
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I would just return the car and keys. The guy is 91, he doesn't need credit for anything. He is not stuck, return the car.
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dunazee Nov 2019
I did that with my mom’s leased vehicle. Just dropped it off one day and gave them the keys. Eventually they stopped sending her collection notices. The car had hardly any miles on it, I’m sure they sold it for a profit.
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Is there a written diagnosis that is dated PRIOR to the date he signed the contract?
Does he have a Guardian?
If he has a Guardian then the Guardian should be able to get him out of the contract. (I am sure a Judge would find that a person diagnosed with dementia and one with a Guardian can not legally enter into a contract.)
If this person does not have a Guardian or an official diagnosis it might be something that needs to be taken up with an Elder Care Lawyer
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Swataz Oct 2019
Thanks for the reply.

No guardian, no. And I am pretty sure there has been no official diagnosis yet and any one that comes now will be be after the fact. This man is stubborn and prior to this probably would bristle at the idea of a doctor telling him he has dementia or anything like it. That will definitely not work in his favor.
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If you can prove that the gentleman was legally incompetent to make a contract through mental incapacity at the time, the contract is void. For a contract to be valid, all parties to it have to be capable of forming the contract.

But I don't know how you can prove it. Any medical records to go on? A lawyer might be interested in the challenge.
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Swataz Oct 2019
I love the guy, but I am not sure of anything at the moment. He may have had a diagnosis, but as you or others have stated, if it was not before the transaction, his legal footing is almost nil.

I know he is mentally incapacitated and even HE knows it now. Sadly, that probably won't be enough and what's the difference if he loses the money for the lease if the legal fees match that total? LOL
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You have to ask yourself if his credit score matters for anything. Just turn the car in.
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AlvaDeer Oct 2019
Yes. Really. At a certain point it is a good thing to have bad credit~!
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Think twice about just turning the car in if he has any assets - - if he does, or gets monthly benefits beyond his Social Security, the leasing company could go after him for default payment...

Since he is 91, does he look 91 - - is it obvious that he's quite elderly ??? Regardless of his mental state, although certainly memory impairment would be suspected, if he had a year to go on his prior lease, it would have been FRAUDULENT for the leasing company to not be clear about that and to press for a new lease (something they are in the business to do). That might be one point of law.

But the other point of law may be to contact Adult Protective Services because there's a lot of ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE going on and it seems like you could make a case for the leasing company to have known better to not take advantage of him.
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Does this man have any family? They should be the ones tackling this issue. As nice as he may be and however much you like him, you really have no legal standing. If there is no one, you could try to get POA or guardianship (may be too early for that), if you really care about him and want to take on this burden.

As for the lease, check this out:
https://www.moneyunder30.com/get-out-of-a-car-lease

Just stopping payment or attempting to return it isn't likely to work. They can repo the car AND still send it off to collections. Ruining his credit isn't the big issue, it is the hassle that will ensue. Given how car dealers work, there isn't a lot of hope for getting out of this lease. He had no Dx, no one was in control, etc., so how are they to know? There are plenty of 90+ drivers who are still competent AND still okay with driving. Funny thing - my license is up for renewal and they are requiring me to come in (usually the first 5 year renewal can be done online, but not for me! I am only 66!) Apparently the old thoughts stick around - anyone over 60 is a danger?

If he has family, is there someone who would be willing to take over the lease and car? If not, the two options I can see from reading the above link is 1) attempt early termination (it will cost him, if it is even an option) or 2) attempt a lease takeover.

If he has no family, you can attempt to help him through this. What is his take on it all? If he has no issue continuing to pay but shouldn't be driving, focus on stopping the driving and perhaps MIL or someone can do the driving while the lease is still in place. He would still have to pay for it and have it maintained. Never really understood leasing - seems expensive, mileage is limited, you end up with nothing at the end of the lease!

I detest any car buying - with very few exceptions the whole process is distasteful! It isn't always the salesperson who is the dick. Others in the process can be jerks as well. The high pressure sales are nasty. When trying to find a car for my then 17yo son, we went together to find a good used one, preferably within a certain $ amount. I told the young sales guy we wanted a 4WD (for winter issues), don't care so much what it looks like so long as it runs good and is within X amount. He says he knows just the car and went off to move it up for us and presented us with an RX7!!! A co-worker told me we should have bought it as it was a unique 4WD RX7!!! Of course my son's eyes lit up, but NFW! I had to co-sign and told him NO. The sales pitch included Oh look it has passive restraints! Yeah, right. It likely would have been wrapped around a tree within the first week! When son tried to plead and I asked about having 12" snow while he's at work, he says I can pick him up. WHAT? I do that now, so why don't we just save the $ and not buy anything!! What an idiot salesman! Of all the places we went, HE was the one who kept calling us. No way would I buy anything from THAT clown!
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My experience.is, whether dementia is involved or not, you can almost always get out of a bad situation if you're persistent and seem sure of yourself. It doesn't hurt to be right. Just be very clear that this new lease will not be paid, and you are willing to complain loudly in public, and don't give up. It won't take long. Complaining works.
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IF you are authorized, take action now. We didn’t need an attorney we went to bank, the dealership, police station and adult protective services, in that order. Within 3 weeks the “deal” had been undone.
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Houseplant102 Oct 2019
That is really a good point - go to Adult Protective Services.
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