Donationing a car to a charity -- the charity can do whatever they want with it, right?

Question

I looked up and called the original owner of a car that I just bought -- and he claims he donated it to a volunteer firehall assuming it would be used for practice -- using the jaws of life, like that.

When I told it I bought it off someone, he hit the roof!

The firehall could have auctioned it off, or done anything with it they wanted to instead, right?

This guy is threatening to contact his lawyer to go after the firehall because they apparently sold it, instead of destroying it for practice, as he was told or was his intention.

But a charitable organization can do ANYTHING they want with a donated item, can't they?

Thanks!

Answer 1

That's what the charities do with donated cars.  They don't need the car, or want ot "fix it up".  They sell them and use the money.  It's like he donated that money to them.  I donated my car to a charity, they sold it, and got to use the money in their organization.  I got to use my donated car as a tax write off, just like that guy did.

Answer 2

If he donated it and signed the title over to the fire dept. they could have done just about anything they felt like doing with it.  Would he mad if it were sold and the money was used to buy a much needed life saving tool?  Seems like he's just in a bad mood and he will probably see it differently tomorrow.

Oh and why did you find it necessary to contact the original owner?

Answer 3

He donated it, gave it away, no longer owns it.  Maybe he's just upset that the charity made some cash on it when he thought it was useless.  Not very "charitable" of him was it?