The golden Kia
Repossessing and re-selling cars is a distinctive feature of the Buy Here Pay Here industry. Neil’s Finance Plaza of Kansas City, Mo., has sold more than 800 cars three times or more each since 2006. One of them, a four-door 2003 Kia Optima, changed hands eight times in less than three years. Here is its trail of ownership:
Sources: Missouri Motor Vehicle Bureau, Kansas Department of Revenue, state and federal courts records, interviews with former owners. Graphics reporting by Ken Bensinger and Doug Smith; illustrated by Lorena Iñiguez Elebee; animated by Lorena Iñiguez Elebee and Raoul Rañoa; edited by Les Dunseith, Robert Burns, John Corrigan and Steve Eames.
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