Reader’s Question:

I’m thinking of buying a used car, and I’m afraid that the car’s previous owner might not be telling me the whole truth about everything the car gone through. He’s planning on moving to the West Coast, and I live here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, so there’s no way of reaching him if anything happens. Is there any way to get his car insurance records? I just want to make sure.

Herbert

Grand Rapids, MI

I’m sure that trying to get a person’s insurance records would constitute an illegal act according to state and federal laws. I wouldn’t want anybody trying to get information about me. I’m sure you wouldn’t that, too. I would consider that an invasion of my privacy. Besides, even if you call the previous owner’s auto insurance company, they’d have no valid reason to give it to you because their obligation is to the previous owner, not to you. As soon as he sells his car, the car insurance company’s responsibility already ends there. But if he’s planning to move to the West Coast, chances are is he may have already terminated his car insurance policy before selling it to you. Some car insurance companies may be able to help you, though, if you explain thoroughly the reason why you want the records. Yours is a legitimate reason, I think. If you are lucky, you may be able to have the previous owner’s coverage and whatever claims he may have made photocopied. Just make sure you ask for information about the car that you’re going to buy and not any other cars that the previous owner may have owned when he was still living there in Grand Rapids, MI.