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No car sales on Sunday

By Jeff Terrill

Fort Wayne Reader

2014-10-04

Mike is a big guy with a lot of big ideas. He falls often but he’s quick to get back on his feet. Sometimes, maybe, he’s too quick.

Mike recently moved up to Indiana to be closer to his girlfriend. Mike loves cars and so he decided to open a small used car lot near his girlfriend’s home. Mike negotiated a great lease on a building with a big parking lot. Mike’s not a real person.

Using some of his savings, Mike purchased a few cars that he found on the Internet and put them on his small lot. He planned to reinvest the sale proceeds into the purchase of several more cars. Mike made sure all of the cars looked good so he waxed each and set up extra lighting to show off the cars at night.

Business was slow but Mike enjoyed meeting anyone that stopped in to look at a car. After a few weeks of living in Indiana and running his small car lot, Mike noticed that all of his competitors closed on Sundays. Mike put a big sign on his building that stated he was open from noon to five on Sundays.

Sure enough, Mike sold a car that first Sunday. He knew he was on to something. He put up banners inviting customers to visit him after church for his “Sunday’s Best Deals.”

The following Sunday, a big crowd showed. Mike sold two cars that day. Mike also noticed the owner of the town’s biggest used car dealership video recording him from across the street. Mike recognized him from his TV ads.

A few days later, a police officer drove onto Mike’s lot. The officer approached Mike and asked him if he was open for business last Sunday. With a big smile, Mike pointed to his sign and told the officer he sold two cars on Sunday and another one the previous Sunday.

The following day, the same police officer returned and arrested Mike. The officer informed Mike that it is against the law for a car dealer to be open for business on a Sunday.

Indiana law prohibits a person from engaging in the business of selling, buying or trading a motor vehicle on a Sunday. The offense is a Class B misdemeanor, which is punishable up to 180 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

Mike now knew why the other car dealers weren’t open on Sundays in Indiana. The officer explained to Mike that you can’t buy or sell beer, wine, whiskey or cars on Sundays in Indiana. Mike told the officer that he’d never heard of anything so crazy in all of his life.

Mike avoided serving time in jail. He married his girlfriend and convinced her to move to a state where a person can go to church, car shop and buy beer all in the same day.

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Jeff Terrill is a partner/shareholder with the law firm of Arnold Terrill Anzini, P.C. Mr. Terrill represents clients accused of crimes throughout northeast Indiana. You can contact Mr. Terrill with any questions or comments at his office at 260.420.7777 or via email at jterrill@fortwaynedefense.com. Learn more about his firm at www.fortwaynedefense.com. This article expressed opinions and observations of the author, is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader. Please consult a qualified attorney with any legal questions or issues you might have. Thank you