What happened to your trade-in?

[BOMC]

well, i live here in southern NJ. we are a small place. anyway, one of our major employers here went, well was forced out of business. it was a ford/volvo/chrysler (and just about everything else) dealer (not MB). well, it turns out there was a major fraud being perpetrated, i seems that people were trading in their cars with balances still to be owed in conjunction and as a trade-in on a new car assuming/promised in the deal that the delaership was taking back the car. guess what, among the 'other' frauds going on there, the dealership (in some way that i dont know) never actually did what they promised to do on their end and it has come out that the previous owners of the cars are still legally and financailly obligated to them. WOW imagine trading in your car and buying a new one and finding out that you are not only responsible for your current car but also for one that is long gone.

so i ask, what assurance is the customer ever given that yes, their car has been legally and financially severed from him?