Gold Coast family left out of pocket after buying car still owing $84K in debt

A man who owed nearly $80,000 in repayments on a car managed to sell it to an unsuspecting Gold Coast family, left out of pocket when it got repossessed. Find out how he defrauded the buyer

A man who sold a car on Facebook Marketplace - and lied about still owing nearly $80,000 in repayments - is repaying the buyer who had it repossessed by debt collectors.

Nathan Andrew Perry appeared at Southport Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to one charge each of uttering forgery and fraudulently obtaining property over $30,000 but less than $100,000.

In September 2022, Perry advertised his vehicle on Facebook Marketplace for $40,000 and was contacted by a 27-year-old man interested in buying it, police prosecutor Erin Garland told the court.

Due diligence checks revealed the car had an outstanding debt of $77,447 owing to a Sydney finance company.

Ms Garland said Perry assured the young man the debt would be paid off and several days later emailed him doctored screenshots claiming to be from the company stating it had been paid in full.

, Nathan Andrew Perry sold a car he still owed debt on to an unsuspecting young man after forging documents assuring him the debt was paid off. Picture: Amaani Siddeek,

Satisfied with the screenshots, the young man borrowed $40,000 from his grandmother and paid Perry for the vehicle.

Ms Garland said to repay his grandmother, the young man sold another vehicle and took out a personal loan.

However three months later when visiting his grandmother’s home, she told him that a man had come to repossess the vehicle he bought off Perry and served her documents regarding the debt.

Perry had failed to repay the debt and by December 1, 2022 it accrued to $84,435.61.

A few days later the car was repossessed.

The court was told that from October last year, Perry begun making repayments every fortnight to the young man and has repaid him $11,920, still owing $28,080.

Magistrate Joan White sentenced Perry to two years imprisonment wholly suspended for two years and ordered he repay the remaining $28,080 referred to SPER within that time.