Congratulations to third-year student Marco Quintana, who settled a case with impressive speed and effectiveness, saving his client more than $28,000.
When Mr. K came to a Consumer Clinic at the Law Center in September of 2003, his frustration was quite visible. Two months earlier, Mr. K had purchased a vehicle from a used car lot. In order to induce Mr. K to sign a contract, the salesman promised that if the truck ever developed any problems, the dealership would repair them for free. Shortly after he signed the contract and drove off the lot, Mr. K noticed a number of problems with the vehicle, including engine troubles. When Mr. K attempted to have the defects repaired by the dealership, he and his family members were verbally abused by the dealership employees.
Marco reviewed the facts and the law and wrote a compelling demand letter. The dealership responded, and Marco was able to negotiate a settlement agreement that required the dealership to 1) pay Mr. K more than $1000, 2) cancel the contract, and 3) ensure that no negative credit information would be reported. “This is by far the fastest resolution to a car case I’ve seen in years!”, says Reuben Castillo, a paralegal with a long history at the ESJCLC. “This only speaks to the caliber of the students that we have, and the attorneys that supervise them,” concludes Reuben.
