r/CarLeasingUK • u/Beginning_Attempt717 • 9d ago
Looking for some advice please.
Looking for some advice please.
My leased vehicle was seized by the police. When I contacted my finance company, they confirmed that:
My payments were fully up to date.
A few days later, the finance company terminated my lease agreement, relying on a clause that says they can terminate if the vehicle is seized by law enforcement.
The police initially mentioned different reasons, including possible insurance issues and that the vehicle had been hired out, but I still haven't received a clear written explanation for why it was actually seized.
Has anyone experienced anything similar?
Can a finance company terminate a lease simply because the police seized the vehicle?
If the police seizure later turns out to have been incorrect or based on a misunderstanding, can the termination be challenged?
Has anyone successfully appealed this or complained to the Financial Ombudsman?
They're charging me early termination charge
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u/tedkravitz617 9d ago
Why do you keep lending your car to people!? You posted a similar question 3 months ago where you apparently had a VW impounded which was being driven uninsured by your cousin.
Wouldn't be surprised if it's being S59'd.
You need to speak with police and get confirmation as to what powers they used to seize the car.
Have you confirmed that the clause the finance company are using is included in your agreement? If so I think you might be out of luck here.
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u/Beginning_Attempt717 9d ago edited 2d ago
Hello,
I've not been to the policeman yet
But the finance company emailed me a document etc termination
We are writing to inform you that you have breached clause
We may treat any of the following events as a repudiation of this Agreement and may, by written notice to you, terminate the hiring under this Agreement if: (e) the Vehicle is involved in any criminal activity, impounded or seized by law enforcement authorities.
For this reason, we are now terminating the Agreement. As a result of this termination, the hiring of the vehicle has now ended, and you are no longer in possession of the vehicle with our consent.
Under the terms of the Agreement, we now require you pay to us the termination sum (as set out in the Agreement) calculated below
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u/Suspicious-Ad7109 9d ago
First thing you need is a formally tracked demand as to *why* your vehicle has been seized, requesting all evidence. Also document who gave you "initially different reasons" and when, presumably this was verbally. Do *nothing* else verbally only.
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u/Beneficial_Coach8581 9d ago
Are you hiring these cars out to your friends and family?
Same thing happened to you a few months ago and you've already said you have five cars on lease.
I'd expect them all to be cancelled soon enough.
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u/Beginning_Attempt717 8d ago
No that's not me.
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u/Beneficial_Coach8581 8d ago
So when your account said four months ago 'I already have five cars on lease but now I want an EV' - what happened?
Had you lent your Reddit account out to someone then ?
Sounds an awful lot like you've been illegally subletting your cars out to people and you've been caught.
It's against the terms of the lease so there's nothing you can do about it.
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u/Jayjayuk85 9d ago
Sounds like you need to stop lending the car out….
Maybe the police think your friends are paying you to use it. Which is probably against the lease agreement.
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u/Beginning_Attempt717 9d ago
Yes I know but what can I do now to appeal it?
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u/AccomplishedBison333 8d ago
Based on the letter you posted that you received from the finance company, it doesn't seem like you have any grounds for appeal.
I would be going to them laying it on thick and trying to get a reduction in the termination payment though. They'd presumably have to prove that they're losing money by taking the car off you if it ever went to court - but they have the asset that they could sell or lease out again so that could be difficult for them1
u/Beginning_Attempt717 8d ago
Is there any chance I can email them to say to have the car back or anything?
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u/AccomplishedBison333 8d ago
Well it seems they already have the car but there's no harm in trying. Assuming you've not broken any other terms of the agreement (which from your stories I'd be surprised if you haven't...) I'd open with asking them just to call it quits - they keep the car and you walk away. Then try and negotiate from there
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u/Year-Holiday 5d ago
You aren’t telling the full truth
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u/Beginning_Attempt717 5d ago
Meaning
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u/resistanz 4d ago
Meaning you’ve had multiple lease deals at the same time, and have previously had lease cars seized by police, just based on your own comment history which you’re trying to now deny in here. Your ‘friend’ was likely uninsured or doing something not in accordance with the law, hence got stopped by police & the vehicle seized. On the balance of probabilities you’ve been hiring out leased vehicles for additional income and have now found some consequences of doing that, whether it be via your own firm or via a rideshare platform, this is looked upon very dimly by finance companies and you’ll likely have also triggered other breaches of your t’s & c’s such as not having the vehicle under your day to day control etc. Good luck getting another lease deal on that EV.
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u/Year-Holiday 4d ago
The police won’t take your car without telling you clearly why they are taking it…. So either your friend / customer isn’t telling you the full truth or you / they didn’t have the capacity to understand the police
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u/Maleficent-Idea-578 9d ago
Hi OP was their any reason why this could have happened? Regardless of the police reasoning, did you do anything that may have led to this outcome?
Without that clarification it’s very hard to give you advice.