A Bacliff, Texas family is now burdened with paying over $750 for a truck they can’t drive, thanks to a scam involving Dealer Union, a now-closed dealership.
The dealership, which is permanently shut down, is at the center of a fraud case where at least 15 customers were tricked into buying vehicles that still had liens on them. Three employees—Noraly Oropeza, Daniel Delgadillo, and Eduardo Delgadillo—are facing criminal charges for selling used vehicles without paying off previous liens, leaving customers in a tough spot.
Elizabeth Rodriguez and her family are among those affected. They bought a black pickup truck nearly a year ago, but despite the loan company paying off the lien to clear the truck’s title, the dealership kept the money and never paid off the first lienholder, leaving the truck’s title unresolved.
“I just don’t understand why. Why do this to people who have families who earn their money? It’s just not fair,” said Rodriguez. She and other families now face the financial strain of paying for vehicles they can’t use, with Rodriguez paying $758 a month for a truck that sits in her driveway with expired paper plates.
Rodriguez recalls the shock she felt when she discovered the vehicle still had a lien on it. “I remember feeling like my heart sank. ‘Oh my goodness.’ There’s another lien on it,” she said.
As the case moves forward, the accused will face court proceedings, and police advise potential car buyers to always request a vehicle history report to avoid falling victim to similar scams.
