- Jurisdiction
- California
Hi everyone, I am wondering if I have to return $1000 deposit back to the buyer for an used car. A buyer gives me $1000 and then he took the car to auto repair shop for diagnosis and said my car could not have passed the smog check, which I already passed it at the certified smog check station and renewed the registration. He did not want it anymore after the diagnosis and I was gonna return his deposit back, but I found my car has engine light on so I refused to give him back the deposit and I blocked him contact because he threatened me he would file police report if I dont return. One month later I received the small claims lawsuit from him. I checked the califonian law and realized that my text messages saying I would return her deposit could be an verbal agreement binding by law. However, I did not know that my car has engine light on at the time when I promised him that I would return the deposit. Could this reason put the verbal agreement into unenforceable? I have a witness(middleperson between me and the buyer) who can prove that the car has engine light on after he took it to auto repair shop.