Buyer Says Plane Was Missing Parts And Was Damaged

A dispute over the condition of a used airplane that was sold by a candidate for Nevada Secretary of State has landed the political hopeful in some hot water, though he denies any wrongdoing.

The plaintiff in the case says Rob Lauer, the candidate, sold him an airplane that was damaged, missing parts, and had been flown more than was disclosed. The Associated Press reports that a second lawsuit over a different plane is being settled out of court.

The court documents indicate Lauer sold a 1979 Piper Archer to John Gruber of Broward County, FL. According to the suit, the mechanics who looked at the plane after the sale reported many parts were missing, that the plane appeared to have been damaged in a possible hard landing, and that the logbooks did not accurately reflect the airplanes usage. Gruber paid $72,000 for the plane.

Gruber told a local newspaper that Lauer had represented the airplane as being "completely refurbished." Lauer had been arrested in Florida in 2007 on a 2nd degree theft charge stemming from the transaction, but it was dismissed on a technicality.

Lauer says Gruber had unrealistic expectations about the aircraft, and that he had manipulated Florida authorities into pressing the criminal charges.

The suit is being heard in San Bernardino County, CA, where the sale was made.

FMI: www.sbcounty.gov/courts/index.asp