‘I tried to help’: Woman supports loved one by putting car in her name. Now she’s issuing a grim warning about what happens when you do
A woman went viral after she issued a warning against putting a loved one's car in your name.
Many people take risks to help out a friend or family member who can’t qualify for car financing or registration on their own. However, one woman’s story shows just how quickly good intentions can backfire.
In a video that has garnered over 1.1 million views, TikTok user Salimah Rivera (@leemahbo) shared a PSA detailing how a favor for her brother turned into a financial nightmare.
How did the woman’s good intentions backfire?
Filming from inside her vehicle in tears and clearly upset, Rivera issues her warning.
“Never help somebody by putting a car in your name, ever,” Rivera says. “I tried to help my brother. He’s not paying his sh*t, and now they’re seizing my money.”
“I tried to help,” she says again at the end of the video, visibly saddened.
In the comments and a follow-up video, Rivera revealed more details about the ordeal.
She explains her brother no longer has the car, so she can’t recoup the assets by having it repossessed. She also adds that the problem started because he never paid the vehicle registration.
Although this happened a long time ago, the consequences had recently caught up, leaving her to deal with the fallout.
What’s happening to Rivera is called wage garnishment, a process by which a court orders your employer to withhold part of your earnings to repay a debt. Since her brother's car was in her name, she was responsible to pay off his financial obligations on the vehicle.
Why do experts advise against having someone else’s car in your name?
When it comes to putting a car in your name for someone else, legal experts overwhelmingly advise against it.
Barry W. Kaufman, a Florida attorney, sums it up bluntly while responding to the question of what pros and cons there are to putting someone else's car in your name. He simply says. “There are no pros. There are only cons. This is a terrible idea.”
Kaufman explains that while the arrangement might seem straightforward at first—using your credit to finance a car while someone else drives and maintains it—if something goes wrong, the legal and financial risks fall squarely on you.
For example, if the person stops making payments, the lender will contact you for the overdue balance. In the worst case, the car could be repossessed, damaging your credit.
While putting someone else's car in your name might seem like a simple way to help someone in a tough spot, Kaufman stresses that the negatives don’t become clear immediately.
“None of these negative consequences will become apparent the first couple of months,” he notes. “But it will hit you when he calls you one night and tells you that you need to make the car payment tomorrow because he’s short.”
What to do if you find yourself in a similar situation
In the comments under her video, users suggested that Rivera either redirect the wage garnishment to her brother, or ask the courts to pause the garnishment.
According to Debt Stoppers, a bankruptcy law firm, these options may be viable for the TikToker. The firm advises individuals to explore steps such as “initiating a dialogue” with creditors, challenging the wage garnishment order, filing a claim of exemption, negotiating a payment plan, and more.
Other commenters shared their own experiences with debts caused by someone else.
“Yup shot my credit from 720 to 590 it’s a NEVER again for me,” recounted one user. “It wasn’t even a car either.”
“I’ve put my name down on every car for both of my siblings, in one condition I get access to all their bank information,” shared another.
“My nana co-signed for me and I do NOT play about paying my bill,” remarked a third. “Why hurt someone who helped you?”
@leemahbo Mind you I pay my bills my bills are paid! But I guess now I have to involuntarily pay his too ????
♬ original sound - Leemahbo
The Daily Dot reached out to Rivera via TikTok and Instagram direct message for more information.
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