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FHP Seeks Man For Illegally Rebuiding, Selling Cars
September 27, 2017
The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for 28-year old Manuel Jacquet of Pensacola on an outstanding warrant for felony title fraud.
According to the FHP, Jacquet sold about 15 vehicles during the past year without obtaining a Florida dealers license. He allegedly purchased salvaged vehicles from Georgia and rebuilt them in Pensacola before reselling them in Mississippi without their rebuilt or salvaged status disclosed on the titles.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Trooper J. Tucker at (850) 316-2474 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Comments
16 Responses to “FHP Seeks Man For Illegally Rebuiding, Selling Cars”
Grand Locust, You need to read Mr. Lunsford’s post. I started doing bodywork in 1969, I became self employed in my own shop in 1971. I just recently retired. I had and Escambia County License, I was registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that oversees Auto repairs. I was also registered with and inspected by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. All of this cost less than $100 per year. What is the name of the “auto lobby” you speak of? I have never heard of one. If you want to sell cars, go buy a license, nobody is stopping you. But that is not the main problem with Mr. Jacquet. He was selling cars that had been total losses, either from water damage or collision, and circumventing the legal requirements needed to do so. He was selling crap to unsuspecting people.
Scott Lunsford, thanks for the information. I have one thing to mention. Carfax isn’t a flawless source. You are not required to report damage to Carfax. Insurance companies do not, because it would lower the value of a repaired vehicle which could be used to press a diminished value claim. The same with an owner, they do not want to lose value in their vehicle.. You should still look a used vehicle over carefully.
Carl it is not an apple to oranges comparison. You see the auto lobby does not want independent contractors working to make a living as competition to their monopoly on used car sales. Why three cars? Why not twenty? The answer is simple. The criminal justice system is rigged by folks having undue influence on our legislators. Buying a used car is a risk. Whether you buy it at a dealer or from Joe down the block. So If I want to work on trailers, RVs, or autos it is playing the arbitrary game of who bought the legislators to make me a criminal. This guy lost, but society loses when you take the incentive for folks to work on marginal cars and put them back on the road. This is simply a monopoly turning competitors into criminals. shameful
The State of Florida and federal government have been combating title, odometer and other motor vehicle fraud for years and the best tactic is an informed buyer.
Online tools such as NICB.org and vehicle history.gov are easy to use tools to research a vehicles history. A Florida company, ADD123.com offers a low cost NMVITIS check and NICB is free. I suggest a combination of these tools and the Carfax that dealers use daily. Remember, no online tool is 100 % foolproof, common sense and careful inspection of the vehicle cannot be stressed enough.
Florida statute prohibits the purchase and sale of automobiles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles and mobile homes without a Florida motor Vehicle Dealer license. the statute most often misquoted is the three-vehicle rule.
Florida statute 320.271(c) provides “Any person who buys, sells, or deals in three or more motor vehicles in any 12-month period or who offers or displays for sale three or more motor vehicles in any 12-month period shall be prima facie presumed to be engaged in such business.” .
If a person purchases a single vehicle with the intent to re-sell, they need a Florida Dealer license. This statute in no way prohibits a person or company from disposing of excess or end of life vehicles, provided they are not unlawfully displayed for sale.
The purpose of DMV enforcement is to protect consumers from unscrupulous dealers who prey on victims. Florida requires a surety bond, liability insurance and has a robust consumer complaint process o protect consumers who suffer a loss. While the regulatory programs are often bashed, they are the first place consumers seek assistance after purchasing such a vehicle.
Pensacola is home to several local dealerships who rebuild and offer these vehicles for sale. They work with DMV to properly document the repairs made and they comply with Florida statute by informing the purchaser of the rebuilt status before the sale is finalized.
I am really surprised at those of you taking up for this scam artist. Maybe if it was you or your child that bought this possible death trap, you would feel differently. Once they go under water, especially salt water, they are worthless. It would be doubtful if the Air Bags would even work. Then it starts mildewing, stinking and rotting.
Grand Locust, you are comparing apples to oranges, One RV that wasn’t totaled compared to 15 legally totaled vehicles. If he did the crime, he definitely needs to do the time.
Jarhead, are you saying the car dealers on 29 don’t have business licenses? Are you saying they knowingly repaired water damaged cars and sold them?
Somebody didn’t get their cut.
So, this guy figures out how to support himself using his own hands, skills, and inginuity. By all means, lock him up we can’t have that. Someone sold a car without disclosing all its flaws, OMG.
State of florida you can only sell i believe 3 automobiles a year without a dealer’s lisence
Based on this “violation”, couldn’t you lock up most of those folks along Hwy 29 in that stretch called Car City?
Doug, it’s because Florida law says that if you sell 3 or more cars within a 1 year time frame, you have to have a dealers license. It doesn’t matter where you sell them, the determination is where you live. You could sell them all on EBay and still need a dealers license.
So if I buy an RV in Georgia and make improvements in my backyard on the RV, and never offer the same for sale in the State of Florida, and sell the RV in the State of MS. I will become a criminal. Too much government wasting their time on non violent folks filling the jails and bankrupting taxpayers.
In regard to flooded vehicles, most are reported as flooded when a property claim is made. However, damaged vehicles are always entering the market and being worked on and more government regulations protects NO ONE as there is risk with any used car purchase unless you know the previous owner and have actual knowledge of the vehicle…..you are taking a chance. However, more stupid criminal justice system need to fill up jails calling this a felony……priceless.
My son met this person in a parking lot. He claimed to be a UWF student who was selling his car because he got a new one. My son drove the car, then he came to our house so my wife could look at it. They both liked the car so they asked me to look it over. Right off I noticed under the hood that the intake was rusted and had rust on places under the hood that should not get that wet and debris in the intake runners that should not be there. Then I noticed the dash was “swollen” like it had got water in it then swelled in the heat. It had air fresheners in it and it still smelled musty or mildewed. I noticed the out of state tag and asked him about the title. He told me he lost it and would have to file for a replacement. Everything smelled fishy so I told my son “no way”. Buyers beware. Oh, and he also told us he had other cars if we didn’t like this one…
Doug Brown, there are some oddities in the story. Where did the titles he used to sell the cars come from. If he obtained the titles in Florida, He would be subject to Florida Law. In Florida, if a vehicle is legally totaled, the title has to be surrendered to the state. It could still be rebuilt, but a new VIN and Title would show it had been rebuilt. Apparently, he was headquartered here, that would require a license here.
FLOODED by storms Cars will soon be making their way onto the market.
Before you pay your hard-earned money for a vehicle have it checked out by a secondary place such as a reputable body/paint shop to make sure it has not been cleaned up and back for sale.
There are many countries in the world, where this is a normal practice.
In an age of “globalism”, I would say that this is par for the course. Buyer Beware!
Why the hell would he need a Florida dealer license? He bought cars in GA and sold cars in MS.
We need permission from Florida to do things in MS or GA?
This is out of control government intrusion.