Imagine trading in your old car for a new one -- then being told months later the dealer failed to pay off the loan on the old car -- and the lender is coming after you. Local 12 Troubleshooter Howard Ain says that's what's happened to a local couple.
Melissa and David Close of Florence bought an RV in 2007 from Plapp's Pro Outdoors. But, Melissa says, they had problems with it almost from the beginning. "We had some problems with it. The last straw was the air conditioning went out on vacation so I thought well we'll trade it in and get a newer model and a little bit bigger."
So they went back to Plapp's Pro Outdoors and traded in their old Fun Finder RV. But recently "We've been getting the bill in the mail from the finance company from Fun Finder with my husband's name still on the bill and then they've told us that it's been sold to another couple and we're still getting the bill."
That bill -- for more than $6000 -- is coming from a collection agency. Close says she's not able to pay it -- plus make payments for the new RV they bought. "I can't afford two campers. I don't understand why I should pay for one I don't own and the people that do own it don't have the title-- and they can't take it anywhere."
You'll recall Plapp's closed its doors suddenly last November just recently the closes started getting bankruptcy notices in the mail. Interestingly, while there have been several Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings, they're all on behalf of individual members of the Plapp family, nothing on behalf of Plapp's Pro Outdoors itself. "State of mind is bothering me cause down the road we want to build a house and I want to get this all cleared up so I don't have it hanging over us."
So I put Close in touch with the Boone County Sheriff's Office, which turned her case over to the commonwealth attorney. Linda Talley Smith tells me she is still investigating Plapp's Pro Outdoors. She says there are several complaints against Plapp's involving many different activities. She adds it's been difficult tracing all the money, but says her investigation is continuing.
