Texas Judge Rules in Vehicle Contract Default, Awards $11,784.53
One party filed a lawsuit regarding defaulted contracts and a security interest in a vehicle. The plaintiff alleged the defendants failed to make payments and granted a security interest in the vehicle. The plaintiff attempted to perfect this security interest, but the Department of Motor Vehicles refused to process the request. The defendants failed to surrender the vehicle or pay their debts. The court entered a default judgment in favor of the plaintiff for unpaid balances, attorney's fees, and costs.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Defense
- Amount
- $15,515
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2020
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Other
- Accident Type
- Other
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-defense of $15,515 is above the median of Undisclosed for other cases resolved by verdict-defense. The typical range is Undisclosed to Undisclosed, based on 144 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A finance company initiated a lawsuit in March 2020 against two individuals and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) concerning defaulted contracts for a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette. The plaintiff alleged one individual signed a contract in June 2016, and both individuals jointly signed a second contract later that month. The plaintiff claimed both parties subsequently defaulted by failing to make required monthly payments.
The plaintiff asserted it held a security interest in the Corvette, but TxDMV refused to process its request to perfect this interest. The plaintiff also alleged the individual defendants failed to surrender the vehicle or pay their outstanding debts despite written demands. TxDMV filed an answer denying the allegations, stating it was not a real party in interest in the litigation, though it noted it had placed a notation in motor vehicle records regarding the pending lawsuit. The individual defendants did not file answers after being served.
In August 2020, the plaintiff sought a nonsuit of claims against TxDMV and requested a default judgment against the individual defendants due to their failure to respond. The court granted the plaintiff's requests. Claims against TxDMV and for possession of the collateral were dismissed without prejudice. A final default judgment was entered against the individual defendants, awarding the plaintiff a net unpaid balance of $4,230.65 against one defendant individually, and $10,483.03 against both defendants jointly and severally. The court also awarded the plaintiff $900.00 in attorney's fees and $401.50 in court costs.
Understanding This Case
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Harris County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2020, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome is within expected ranges
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
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