May Garage Owners Lend Dealers’ Cars?

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7168, 15 March 1930, Page 7

May Garage Owners Lend Dealers’ Cars?

WHEN CUSTOMERS’ CAR IN DOCB INTERESTING MOTOR POINT IS RAISED AT MASTERTON. Per Press Association. MASTERTON, Last Night. An interesting point in motor law was raised in the Magistrate’s Court to-day as to the extent to which garage proprietors are entitled, in the course of business, to lend cars, bearing their dealers’ number plates, to customers. The ca&e was one in wuieh D. G. Johnston, of Carterton, a gar-ige proprietor, was charged with permitting one of his cars, bearing garage number plates, to be used by a customer and B. M. Hurley, of Carterton, was charged with using the car.

Counsel for the defendants said the defence was on a point of law, as the facts were admitted. Hurley had taken his car to Johnston’s garage for repairs and had accepted the loan of 3 garage car in order to visit a district

in which ho had urgent business. The practice of lending out garage cars in such circumstances, counsel held, was common in the Wairarapa and elsewhere in New Zealand. Ho contended the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1927 allowed a dealer to use number plates issued to him in tho course of the business of the garage. The Magistrate, Mr J. Miller, reserved his decision.