Section 681.114 of the Florida Statutes covers the resale of returned vehicles. Under this statute manufacturers must report the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of vehicles that are the subject of a Lemon Law settlement or Lemon Law arbitration. If a consumer who owns or leases a new motor vehicle files a claim under Florida's Lemon Law and the manufacturer thereafter agrees or is ordered to buy back the vehicle, the manufacturer is required to, among other things, have the vehicle's title branded "manufacturer buy back" by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Lemon Laundering refers to the practice of cleansing the "lemon" label from a vehicle's title and history before it is resold. Lemons can be laundered through various practices, often by registering and/or titling the vehicle in one state after another. If this statue is violated the violator can face stiff penalties. If you suspect that you have been sold a branded "lemon," attempt to contact the previous owner(s) to get the cars history, check our resource links, and then contact us. We can help.