North Fort Myers woman contacts WINK News for false car lien

Buying a car can be a stressful experience, but for one North Fort Myers woman, the stress didn't end when she drove off the lot. 

Linda Tafel purchased a car from Gettle Toyota of Charlotte County in 2022.

"I decided on a particular model. We agreed on the price," said Tafel.

Tafel's home and car had flooded during Hurricane Ian, prompting her to buy a new vehicle. In November 2022, she wrote a check for $36,000, covering the full payment.

"I completed all their purchase paperwork and signed it," Tafel said.

Everything seemed fine until three years later, when Tafel visited the DMV to obtain a physical copy of the car's title.

"I wanted to get a title because I'm moving out of town, and I'm going to have to re-title the car in Ohio," said Tafel. "The fellow at the Tax Collector's office said, I can't give you a replacement title because there is a lien on this title."

Despite paying for the car in full, Tafel discovered a lien was still listed on the title.

"I have copies of the check and the deposit from Gettle and all," she said. "I have been trying to get someone to do something about this from Gettle for more than a month now."

WINK News got involved and contacted the dealership directly. The general manager assured anchor Corey Lazar that he would resolve the issue immediately.

"I think the first words after I said hello, and he asked if I was who he was trying to call, was when he said, I got a call from WINK," said Tafel. "And mentioned that he was very disappointed that this had happened, and he would take care of it."

True to his word, the general manager promptly rectified the situation. Tafel received confirmation that her new title would be available at the Tax Collector's Office in just a matter of days.

"I have the certificate of title, which simply says electronic title," said Tafel. "Normally, it would say on the old title information that I saw online, it said electronic title with electronic lien."

Now, Tafel carries her new title like a badge of honor.

The general manager of Gettle Toyota of Charlotte County declined an on-camera interview but explained that the issue was a clerical error, which he resolved within 24 hours. 

His primary focus was ensuring that Linda Tafel was happy and taken care of.