It was bought from an individual. There is a little light at the end of this tunnel though.....I'm understanding that in 2005, Louisiana enacted a law that forbids a sale of a flooded vehicle without full disclosure by the seller in writing, detailing the damage and signed by both buyer and seller. There was no such disclosure.

It was cleaned up, bulbs changed, corroded connectors cut off under dash..... this car was not bought in running condition. We knew it needed repairs, a little interior stuff, new paint, a little surface rust , a new cam, BUT nothing like what was revealed when we started removing interior we wanted to change to new.

La. R.S. 32:774.2 (2005)

§ 32:774.2. Sale of used water-damaged vehicles

A. No used motor vehicle dealer, nor any person or entity, shall sell, transfer, or convey any used motor vehicle to any person without notifying the buyer or receiver of the vehicle in writing of the extent of any water damage from flooding which occurred to the vehicle prior to the transaction.

B. If a sale, transfer, or conveyance of a used motor vehicle occurs in violation of Subsection A, the person receiving ownership and title to the vehicle who is not otherwise aware of the damage at the time of the transaction may bring an action to set aside the transaction within one year from the date of the transaction and receive all monies or other property given as consideration for the vehicle less a reasonable assessment for miles driven.

Problematically, there is no interpretation of this law to tell us whether it applies a strict liability or a knowledge standard. In other words, if you are a seller who has no idea the vehicle had water damage, are you liable for the transaction even though you acted honestly and in good faith? The law also doesn’t define “water damage”, so what amount of water and which part of the vehicle exposed constitutes “water damage”?