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Bryan W. Shook, Esquire acts for and represents leading antique and collector car dealers, brokers, promoters, restoration houses and private individuals in the United States and around the world.
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire has been responsible for innumerable and prominent cases relating to antique and collector cars. Bryan W. Shook has established a distinguished and unparalleled network of contacts, experts and clients as a result of his advocacy and conclusive proving of very complex and important automotive cases.
The collector car industry has its own vocabulary; it is imperative that your legal advocate understand this terminology and how it relates to your needs in order to achieve positive results in an efficient manner. Bryan Shook is fluent in collector car terminology.
Litigation
Identity disputes
It is custom and tradition in the hobby to identify and recognize vehicles by their VIN or in the proper case the vehicle’s chassis number. When two or more vehicles lay claim to the same VIN or chassis number, the cars history must be intensively researched, studied and the titles must be examined, investigated and proven. Identity disputes often arise when many years ago a car was deemed “too far gone to restore” and a “donor” vehicle was utilized to make the restoration more financially palatable. If the original vehicle was not destroyed in the process both vehicles may still exist and claim the original identity. The term “rebody” is a term of art used throughout our hobby to denote a vehicle whose original factory body has been replaced with another “donor” body. The donor body is then given the original body’s VIN, serial number, data card, trim tag, cowl tag, etc. and then usually and most unfortunately sold to an unsuspecting buyer as the original, real deal automobile. Identity disputes also arise when a racecar crashed during competition and the parts were divided after a race between two or more vehicles which were then built up and each now claim the original identity. Questionable cars can be practically unsaleable and always have questions.
“Air Cars”
The idea of an “air car” is a unique version of an identity dispute. An “air car” is a vehicle which is built up around authentic paperwork from “thin air”. Air cars usually start where the builder has possession of or knowledge of a VIN of a rare but frequently long destroyed vehicle. The builder acquires a good donor body and builds up the vehicle using fraudulent VIN tags, body tags, fender tags, cowl tags and other unique identifying parts. All of a sudden, a desirable car appears with all indications if being a genuine original car, however upon closer examination the car lacks a verifiable pedigree, provenance and continuous history. Bryan W. Shook has unfortunately handled many collector car matters involving “air cars” to positive, efficacious conclusions.
Private Treaty Sales
A sale by private treaty is a negotiated transaction that is principally beneficial in the antique and collector car market. A sale by private treaty is the preferred option to many collectors.
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire proudly offers sales, by private treaty, negotiated, overseen and written by Bryan W. Shook. A sale by private treaty is extremely beneficial to both parties as there is a contract, which each party agrees to upfront and clearly sets forth the process by which the sale will occur (i.e. length of due diligence period, seller disclosures, form of payment, closing date, etc.).
Other reasons for using a private treaty sales process includes exceptionally rare vehicles, complicated estate situations, divorces, overseas transactions, and long-term payment periods, etc.
Title Acquisition Services
Title acquisition assistance can be provided to Pennsylvania residents who do not have a title for their antique or collector vehicles. Although the buyer may not have received an actual certificate of title when the vehicle was purchased, the buyer most likely owns the vehicle. This is barring any type of theft in the vehicle’s past or another “owner” stepping in and challenging ownership interest.
Bryan W. Shook can assist you in motioning the Courts for a declaration of ownership and legally obtaining a certificate of title. Always remember that a vehicle sold without a certificate of title is a vehicle sold with questions. This does not absolutely mean that the vehicle can never again be titled. However, it underscores the need for exercising enhanced due diligence throughout the transaction.
Bryan W. Shook can be reached via email or by calling 717-884-9010.
Copyright 2020 - Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire acts for and represents leading antique and collector car dealers, brokers, promoters, restoration houses and private individuals in the United States and around the world.
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire has been responsible for innumerable and prominent cases relating to antique and collector cars. Bryan W. Shook has established a distinguished and unparalleled network of contacts, experts and clients as a result of his advocacy and conclusive proving of very complex and important automotive cases.
The collector car industry has its own vocabulary; it is imperative that your legal advocate understand this terminology and how it relates to your needs in order to achieve positive results in an efficient manner. Bryan Shook is fluent in collector car terminology.
Litigation
- Fraud /Misrepresentation
- Breach of Contract
- Auction Disputes
- Restoration Disputes
- VIN tampering
- Ownership Disputes
- Estate (Probate) Litigation
- Odometer Fraud (rollbacks) (false affidavits of mileage)
- Rebody Cars
- Numbers Matching (disingenuous definition)
- Restamped Engines
- Title Fraud
- Fake Documents
Identity disputes
It is custom and tradition in the hobby to identify and recognize vehicles by their VIN or in the proper case the vehicle’s chassis number. When two or more vehicles lay claim to the same VIN or chassis number, the cars history must be intensively researched, studied and the titles must be examined, investigated and proven. Identity disputes often arise when many years ago a car was deemed “too far gone to restore” and a “donor” vehicle was utilized to make the restoration more financially palatable. If the original vehicle was not destroyed in the process both vehicles may still exist and claim the original identity. The term “rebody” is a term of art used throughout our hobby to denote a vehicle whose original factory body has been replaced with another “donor” body. The donor body is then given the original body’s VIN, serial number, data card, trim tag, cowl tag, etc. and then usually and most unfortunately sold to an unsuspecting buyer as the original, real deal automobile. Identity disputes also arise when a racecar crashed during competition and the parts were divided after a race between two or more vehicles which were then built up and each now claim the original identity. Questionable cars can be practically unsaleable and always have questions.
“Air Cars”
The idea of an “air car” is a unique version of an identity dispute. An “air car” is a vehicle which is built up around authentic paperwork from “thin air”. Air cars usually start where the builder has possession of or knowledge of a VIN of a rare but frequently long destroyed vehicle. The builder acquires a good donor body and builds up the vehicle using fraudulent VIN tags, body tags, fender tags, cowl tags and other unique identifying parts. All of a sudden, a desirable car appears with all indications if being a genuine original car, however upon closer examination the car lacks a verifiable pedigree, provenance and continuous history. Bryan W. Shook has unfortunately handled many collector car matters involving “air cars” to positive, efficacious conclusions.
Private Treaty Sales
A sale by private treaty is a negotiated transaction that is principally beneficial in the antique and collector car market. A sale by private treaty is the preferred option to many collectors.
Bryan W. Shook, Esquire proudly offers sales, by private treaty, negotiated, overseen and written by Bryan W. Shook. A sale by private treaty is extremely beneficial to both parties as there is a contract, which each party agrees to upfront and clearly sets forth the process by which the sale will occur (i.e. length of due diligence period, seller disclosures, form of payment, closing date, etc.).
Other reasons for using a private treaty sales process includes exceptionally rare vehicles, complicated estate situations, divorces, overseas transactions, and long-term payment periods, etc.
Title Acquisition Services
Title acquisition assistance can be provided to Pennsylvania residents who do not have a title for their antique or collector vehicles. Although the buyer may not have received an actual certificate of title when the vehicle was purchased, the buyer most likely owns the vehicle. This is barring any type of theft in the vehicle’s past or another “owner” stepping in and challenging ownership interest.
Bryan W. Shook can assist you in motioning the Courts for a declaration of ownership and legally obtaining a certificate of title. Always remember that a vehicle sold without a certificate of title is a vehicle sold with questions. This does not absolutely mean that the vehicle can never again be titled. However, it underscores the need for exercising enhanced due diligence throughout the transaction.
Bryan W. Shook can be reached via email or by calling 717-884-9010.
Copyright 2020 - Bryan W. Shook, Esquire