CINCINNATI, OH – The City of Cincinnati has agreed to a $15,870 settlement with a local buyer after city police accidentally sold him a stolen luxury vehicle at a public auction.
The Stolen Porsche Deal
The legal battle began after buyer Srinivasa Gowda purchased a 2014 Porsche Panamera for $35,000 at a Cincinnati Police drug-seizure auction in December 2021.
More than a year into owning the vehicle, state investigators discovered that a fictitious Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) had been superimposed over the original dashboard VIN. Further investigation revealed the luxury car had actually been reported stolen from the Atlanta area.
City Claimed Immunity
When the original owner’s insurance company demanded the car back, Gowda was forced to pay an additional $10,000 out of pocket to the insurer just to keep the vehicle.
When Gowda approached the city for a refund in 2023, officials refused, claiming the city was legally immune from liability. This prompted Gowda to file a lawsuit in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
The Settlement
Gowda’s attorney argued that accepting the auction bid created a binding contract, meaning the city could not invoke statutory immunity.
Faced with a breach of contract claim, the city signed the settlement agreement. Following the payout, court entries show that Gowda has officially agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, bringing the multi-year legal headache to a close.
