JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Stan Guisch and his wife Ana have had better days. For the past four years their days are filled with the pain and struggles of dementia.
He's not allowed to drive anymore, but on Sept. 6, Stan drove to a Chrysler/Dodge dealership and purchased a Dodge Ram 1500. According to the contract, he paid nearly $69,000, with payments of $883 a month for seven years.
"He buys a truck and he doesn't have any money just credit cards and $30 in his wallet," she said.
His wife said she discovered what happened when she found the truck parked in the driveway.
The next day she said she asked the dealer to cancel the sale.
"I was there crying," she said. "I wanted them to cancel the sale."
But the sales team told her she was not the customer, and the contract is binding. Legally the dealership
is correct.
"I said my husband has Alzheimer's he doesn't know what he's doing plus he cannot afford this truck," she said.
Surprised that her efforts to cancel the deal is not as easy as it seems, family friend and financial advisor Darby Brower came to her rescue.
"It is tough enough to have a husband with Alzheimer's," said Brower. "Life itself becomes difficult: she doesn't need the financial stress on top of it."
There's no evidence the dealer did anything wrong. There was no way for the sales people to know Guisch is living with dementia, so the purchase agreement becomes a legal contract.
Guisch's presented several medical diagnosis forms showing her husband has the disease. Her argument is very simple, her husband did not have the capacity to contract, so she's asking them to unwind the deal.
"It makes me sad, very, very sad," she said, "they're doing this to the person that's old; he's 77 this year and mentally ill."
Ken Kovacs, owner of the dealership, said he is trying to resolve the issue.
"I have been trying for days to have him come in," said Kovacs.
He said he's in a pickle, he needs Guisch present so he can acknowledge he understands the deal is being canceled.
We advised them to have a meeting with the owner.
