Atlanta Pastor Says $89,000 Mercedes Was Repossessed Despite Timely Payments, Dealer Also Claims Fraud

An Atlanta pastor says his Mercedes-Benz was repossessed outside his Georgia home on 31 March 2026, despite never missing a payment.

Mark Moore, who purchased the vehicle from a Cleveland dealership for nearly $89,000 (approximately £66,421) claims he is still repaying a loan for the car he no longer owns.

The dispute began more than two years after Moore bought the used luxury vehicle from Central Cadillac in Ohio. According to his account, an outstanding debt linked to a previous owner led to the repossession, leaving him facing substantial financial losses.

Moore has since taken his complaint public after months of unsuccessful negotiations. The dealership, however, maintains that it was also caught up in an alleged vehicle fraud scheme.

Atlanta Pastor's Mercedes Repossessed Over Previous Owner's $106,000 Debt

Moore travelled from Atlanta to Cleveland in January 2024 after finding a Mercedes-Benz that met his expectations for condition, reputation and price.

According to his Facebook account, he paid $30,000 (approximately £22,389) upfront using a cashier's cheque. He financed another $58,931.87 (approximately £43,987) through a lender recommended by the dealership, bringing the purchase price to $88,931.87 (approximately £66,369).

For more than two years, Moore says he maintained the vehicle, renewed its registration and made his monthly payments without interruption. That changed on 31 March, when he discovered the Mercedes missing from his driveway.

Initially believing the vehicle had been stolen, Moore contacted police. He subsequently learned that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services had repossessed it because of an alleged outstanding debt associated with an earlier owner.

According to Moore, the vehicle remained registered under the previous owner's name, with approximately $106,000 (£79,108) still owed.

'I had done nothing wrong. I had cut no corners. I had missed no payments,' Moore wrote.

The pastor claims he had no knowledge of the outstanding obligation when purchasing the car.

The reported problem involved a suspected practice known as title washing. This occurs when misleading or fraudulent vehicle documentation conceals previous ownership problems, outstanding finance or other restrictions.

In Moore's case, the alleged discrepancy meant the vehicle he believed he had legitimately purchased could still be subject to a competing financial claim.

Mercedes Dealership Says It Was Also a Victim of Alleged Fraud

Central Cadillac has disputed the suggestion that it knowingly sold Moore a vehicle with an unresolved ownership problem.

General manager Christopher Studor told Cleveland television station WKYC 3News that the dealership originally obtained the Mercedes from another dealer in Bedford, Ohio.

Studor said the vehicle arrived with documentation appearing to show a clear title. The dealership reportedly discovered later that the Mercedes was connected to a suspected vehicle theft operation under federal investigation.

Those claims have not been independently established through publicly reviewed investigative records.

'So we sympathize, you know, wholeheartedly with Mr. Moore,' Studor told the broadcaster.

The dealership said it had filed an insurance claim and intended to reimburse Moore after receiving payment from its insurer.

Moore, however, questions why he should continue carrying the financial burden while the dealership awaits an insurance settlement.

He says discussions involving lawyers continued for approximately six months without an acceptable resolution. According to Moore, the dealership argued that it had also suffered losses because of the alleged fraud.

He acknowledged that the business might genuinely have been deceived but maintained that he had purchased the vehicle directly from Central Cadillac.

'They kept my money. I lost the car,' he wrote.

Pastor Challenges Dealership Management as Dispute Goes Public

The disagreement became more personal after Moore discussed his experience during a Facebook livestream.

According to screenshots reported by Atlanta Black Star, Central Cadillac general sales manager Jesse Huber commented on the broadcast and questioned Moore's approach.

'What kinda of pastor promotes vengeance and retaliation??? Real Jesus like,' Huber reportedly wrote. Huber also reportedly maintained that the dealership had received a clean title and had not acted maliciously.

Moore described the interaction as dismissive and rejected suggestions that publicly discussing his experience amounted to retaliation.

'I am a victim, but I am NOT a martyr,' he wrote.

The pastor has insisted that he is not pursuing punitive damages. Instead, he wants reimbursement for his financial losses and the outstanding loan obligation resolved.

He also claims to have continued making payments since the repossession, despite no longer having access to the Mercedes.

His account attracted sympathetic reactions online, including questions about the dealership's responsibility to verify vehicle ownership before completing a sale.

Moore encouraged supporters to discuss their concerns without making threats or publishing misleading reviews.

As of the latest reports, no confirmed reimbursement or settlement had been announced.

Central Cadillac maintains that its insurance claim offers a route towards compensation. Moore continues to argue that the unresolved dispute should not leave him paying for a vehicle taken away because of another party's alleged fraud.