Teen Loses $58,000 in College Savings After Car Repossession

Seventeen-year-old Arrod Berjis says he lost $58,000 in savings meant for college when a car he purchased in good faith was repossessed months later. The vehicle, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, vanished the night before Berjis planned to sell it for a profit. He believes a combination of a seller scam and a Department of Motor Vehicles error caused the loss.

Berjis, a high school senior, found the car listed on Autotrader. He said the asking price was below market value. He intended to repair the vehicle, enjoy it for a time, and then sell it. "I get this car at under market value and I get to enjoy it while I also get to fix it and then I can sell it for a profit and add that to my college fund. So that was very, you know, it was a win-win," Berjis said.

Before paying the seller, Berjis visited the DMV to verify the title. He stated that a DMV clerk confirmed multiple times that no lien holder was listed on the record. He also reviewed a Carfax report that showed the same clear status. Based on these checks, he completed the purchase for $58,000.

Three months after the purchase, Berjis finished repairs on the car. He had a buyer lined up who agreed to pay $75,000. The sale was set for the following morning. The night before the transaction, the car disappeared from its location. Berjis called the Los Angeles Police Department, believing the vehicle had been stolen.

Police directed Berjis to a towing company. There, he learned the car had not been stolen but repossessed. "They basically told me that 'we were ordered to take this car by Carvana,'" Berjis said. He was shocked because he believed the title he held was free of any financial claims.

Berjis returned to the DMV to understand why the lien appeared after his purchase. A clerk explained that a previous lien may have been overlooked during the title transfer. "He told me that sometimes when a title is transferred, the previous paperwork can be overlooked. And a lien can be released, and a DMV title can be issued to you, but it's void and invalid now because of that mistake. Mistake or potentially fraud," Berjis said. The clerk also noted that the original title Berjis had provided was taken during the review process.

The DMV stated it could not comment on the specifics because an investigation is currently open. Carvana had not responded to requests for comment by the time of reporting. The LAPD is also investigating the matter. Berjis noted that the seller provided fake identity documents, which complicates the police inquiry.

Berjis hopes Carvana will return the vehicle or pay him the $58,000 he spent. Without that money, he fears his plans for higher education will be delayed. "I feel like I've lost all hope. I've went down every avenue trying to solve this problem. And even though I did everything right and bought this car as you're told, go to the DMV and followed all the correct procedures, and I'm still a victim of this fraud, unfortunately," he said.

He added that the funds represented four years of savings accumulated during high school. "It was a big amount of money that I had saved up over the last four years of high school, which was, you know, all meant to go to the goal of going to college and so that was the end game for it and it will definitely delay that and hold it back," Berjis said. Experts recommend buyers obtain at least one vehicle history report and visit the DMV to confirm the title is free of liens or salvage marks before completing a purchase.