A used car dealer in High Peak has been fined a total of £2,240 after a vehicle they sold was found to be in a dangerous condition.
Michael Allen, trading under the name Allmini, sold a Citroen Saxo on 10 May 2014 that was soon discovered to be in an unroadworthy condition. Although the 59-year-old did not attend a hearing at High Peak Magistrates’ Court his solicitor pleaded guilty on his behalf and Mr Allen was fined £202 plus costs of £1,358, and ordered to pay £680 compensation to his customer.
Having black marks such as this on their trading history will not only damage a car dealer's reputation in the local community but it will also make motor trade insurance providers more reluctant to offer policies to the dealer. To ensure a vehicle is in a roadworthy state prior to sale, car dealers can obtain a road risks insurance policy which will enable them to drive the cars and detect any potential faults before handing over the keys to a customer.
In the case of Mr Allen, the prosecution, by Derbyshire County Council trading standards, found that, contrary to Section 75 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, corrosion around the chassis, rear seat belt mountings, sills and suspension mountings of the Saxo was so severe that using the car on the road "would involve a danger of injury to any person".
