Surety Bond Used Car Dealership
When it comes to the standards for obtaining a dealer’s license, the majority of states do not differentiate between dealers of new and used automobiles. Yet, states such as Arkansas, Maryland, and Texas each have their own distinct licensing and bonding requirements for new and used car dealerships respectively.
Surety bonds are a kind of legal instrument that is used by regulatory authorities in order to promote ethical conduct among car dealers. Moreover, they assist in the protection of customers in the case that a law or rule is broken.
A Used Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond is the name most often given to the insurance policy that must be purchased in order to be eligible for a business license as a used automobile dealer. Notwithstanding the fact that the phrase Independent Dealer License Bond may also be used in other jurisdictions. The essential function of the relationship remains the same regardless of the circumstances.
How the Bonds for Used Car Dealers Work
In broad strokes, the operation of automobile bonds is comparable to that of the operation of other forms of surety bonds. Those are the contractual agreements that have been reached among the three parties.
The first of these parties is referred to as the principal, and in this scenario, it is the dealership. The term obligee refers to the second party in the contract. In most cases, the State Department of Motor Vehicles serves as the obligee. This is because it is the state agency that is in charge of issuing licenses and imposing bond requirements. The third party is known as the surety, and it generally takes the form of a formal surety corporation or a surety agency. The surety serves as the underwriter and the guarantor of the surety bond. These organizations are also occasionally referred to as bonding businesses.
The obligee will choose the kind of bond and the amount of the premium, and the principal will be required to comply. In order for them to accomplish this goal, they will make a payment to a surety firm in the form of a bond premium. This premium is a percentage of the total bond amount.
In return for payment of the premium, the surety firm will guarantee the availability of cash equal to the amount of the bond, sometimes referred to as the penal sum, in the event that a claim is made against the principal.
In the event that such a claim is made and it is determined that the claim is legitimate, the guarantor will use that cash to pay damages to any affected parties, up to the amount of the punitive sum, until the surety is repaid in full. By acting in this manner, the surety serves as an instant form of indemnification, so ensuring the customers of the dealership get enough financial protection.
It is essential to keep in mind, however, that insurance and surety bonds are not the same thing in a technical sense.
Several Kinds of Car Dealerships and the Different Kinds of Bonds Each One Need
- Salvage Dealerships – These dealerships focus largely on the sale of components for obsolete automobiles and vehicles. The posting of certain automobile dismantler bonds is often required of these sorts of dealerships.
- Independent Used Vehicle Dealerships – These are privately owned and operated companies that stock a wide range of pre-owned automobiles from a number of manufacturers. These kinds of dealerships are required to get some kind of car dealer bond in the majority of states. The amount that these bonds are worth, however, might vary.
- Franchise Dealerships – While it is not uncommon for these car dealerships to also sell used automobiles on occasion, the primary focus of their business is on the selling of new vehicles since they have signed a franchise agreement with a certain automaker.