Ohio Kia Dealer Loses Own Name in $23,000 Car Repo Showdown

Kia dealership Taylor Kia of Lima repossessed a 2022 K5 valued at $23,000, but customer Tiah McCreary countered by registering the dealer’s business name herself. Trending queries like “can you sue a dealership for repossession?” and “what happens if a dealership loses its name” now swirl. With both car and name in limbo, McCreary sent a cease and desist, forcing the dealer into an identity crisis. As court documents dryly note: “This claim does not fall within the scope of the arbitration agreement.”
After McCreary’s surprise trademark grab left the dealership nameless, she filed a complaint in Allen County Court and sought an injunction to ban the business from using its own name. Searches for “what if a car dealer forgets to renew its business name” and “arbitration vs court in auto disputes” are spiking. Picture: a dealership with a name tag reading “Hi, I’m... uh...” while an impounded K5 glowers nearby. The court’s ruling: “This claim should not have been dismissed and sent to arbitration.”
As of July, Taylor Kia of Lima owns McCreary’s repossessed 2022 K5, but McCreary—armed with the dealership’s name—holds the existential keys, leaving Ohio courts to referee this accidental automotive identity swap.