DISHONEST DEALERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 22 November 1929, Page 4

DISHONEST DEALERS

JUDGE WARNS PUBLIC

(By Telegraph—Press Association) HAMILTON, 20th November. A warning to people buying jpotorcars to deal with only honest men was given by his Honour Mr Justice Herdman in the Supreme Court this afternoon, when sentencing two Taumarunui dealers, who had confessed to fraudulently selling cars obtained on the hire purchase system and still legally belonging to the original vendors. “Unless a warning were taken,” said his Honour, “a person may pay cash for a vehicle in the belief that he becomes the owner only to find later that it has been sold to him by a person who has no title to it, the last-mentioned person being only the bailee holding the vehicle under what is.,- popularly known as a hire-purchase agreement. No amount of searching in the Supreme Court office would reveal to the purchaser the existence of-.this contract,for the law as it stands does not- require that these instruments shall lie registered. Whether or not legislation is required to protect the public it is not for me to say.”

The prisoners in the case were John M. Bishara and Geoffrey A. Trayhurn, who pleaded guilty to 15 charges of fraud. Each was sentenced to a year's bard labour and two years’ reformative detention.