Class action lawsuit filed against PNC Bank on behalf of defrauded vehicle owners

TorHoerman Law LLC and Walton Telken LLC have filed a class action lawsuit (Case 3:23-cv-02355) on behalf of plaintiffs alleging that PNC Bank fails to properly deliver release of security interests and/or certificates of titles to customers who have paid off their loans.

In essence, the Complaint alleges that after customers paid off their car loans, PNC did not provide the customer with a release of lien or their car title, but rather, PNC lost the title and claimed the documents were “lost in the mail.”

PNC then required the customer to pay a fee to a third-party to obtain a release of lien. The customer then had to present their release of lien to their local DMV for a replacement title, which incurred an additional cost.

Specifically, Defendant PNC Bank is being sued for breach of contract, violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code, and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act.

“Paying off your car loan should be a moment of accomplishment and relief for someone; not a pathway to manipulation and frustration,” said Tyler Schneider, a Partner at TorHoerman Law.

According to the complaint, PNC is statutorily and contractually required to provide the release of security interest and/or certificate of title for free after borrowers pay off their vehicle loans.

“This should not be a complicated process. When someone pays off the loan on their vehicle, they should get title to the car. Unfortunately, for our client, it was anything but.” said Troy Walton, managing partner of Walton Telken.

The class action complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois on July 7, 2023.

Plaintiffs are represented by Tyler Schneider and Kenneth Brennan of TorHoerman Law LLC and co-counsel Troy Walton and Michael Marker of Walton Telken LLC.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against PNC Bank, contact TorHoerman Law or visit https://www.torhoermanlaw.com/class-action-case-types/lost-car-title/.