When plotted on a graph, the value of rare, collectible, and vintage cars often correlates to a variety of factors, including the age of the vehicle, the floor plans at the time of purchase, and the number of owners the vehicle has had throughout its lifetime. One of the most difficult things for rare car owners to plot, however, is the outcome of legal disputes and court cases. Understanding how long can a court case last might last can make the lengthy process of litigation somewhat easier to bear, and allow automobile collectors as well as car dealers to make accommodations based on the expected outcome of litigation.
Car collectors and auto dealers face legal issues from time to time that can relate to asset misappropriation, sale transactions, and even breach of contract. In general, when rare automobile use leads to a court case, the time frame of the litigation is lengthy. For example a recent court case regarding a rare and collectible vehicle took 1,111 days to reach a final conclusion. 1111 days is almost three years to litigate a contract dispute. This two year dispute involved the automobile dealer successfully suing a former client for breach of contract, and winning, however, the final result took time to finalize.
If a car collector or dealer feels that the period during which court cases last stretches beyond the standard protocol, it is wise to consult with a lawyer who can shed additional light on the subject. In the meanwhile, the factors most likely to help rare car collectors and dealers to avoid legal disputes include:
Litigation involving rare vehicles often takes as long as three months – but sometimes longer – when it involves a basic transaction. When lawsuits (including those related to dealership operations) are highly complex, the cases may take two to three years to resolve. Long before court appearances, the process begins with a pre-litigation fact-finding stage called discovery, and this process alone can take up to six months. Since litigation is a reoccurring event among rare car collectors and dealers, all parties involved should understand how many court appearances to expect and the frequency with which the events will take place. In general, it is likely that litigation regarding rare and collectible vehicles will take a long time to resolve (use the term ‘how long can a court case last’ verbatim). An experienced attorney will be able to provide an accurate expectation of how many months, or even years, a lawsuit will involve and can also advise on a strategy that will take less time to resolve the matter at hand. Auto dealers and collectors who drive their cars a great deal may find it necessary to file suit to have their damages compensated. Often, however, the timeline of litigation is far less than the time that has gone into collecting or operating the vehicle.
For more information on legal processes, you can visit USCourts.gov.