Location: Hawaii/Texas
I live in Hawaii, in 2021 I bought a horse located in Texas. She was advertised as a registered filly with the breed association. Vet cleared her, so I bought her and had her shipped to Hawaii. She looked well bred, and on arrival she was definitely the same horse as advertised, not a look alike.
During the purchasing discussions I was sent a blank bill of sale, I signed it and sent it back for their signature, but they never signed it and sent it back. So all I have for proof of purchase is our emails saying I sent payment and them saying it was received. They said the bill of sale and her breed association registration paperwork would be shipped with her, but that did not arrive with her. I emailed them a few times about having it shipped, three times they claimed they would ship it but nothing has arrived and they’ve stopped all communication.
Her breed association requires registered horses to either be branded or microchipped; she has no brand and the vet has been out with 3 scanners with no chip to be found. When I check the breed association stud book her name is listed as registered and also listed as still owned by the people I bought her from.
I’m going to get her DNA tested to confirm identity but at this point I have to assume they either put her chip in a different horse to pass that one off as her, or they lied to me about my mares breeding and registration status.
I want to know if I can pursue any legal action over this or if it would even be worth it. I spent 4k on her purchase and around 7-8k to have her shipped here. I’m concerned that not having a physical bill of sale will hinder my case as well. Given the distance between states and the cost of lawyers, I worry the legal fees will outweigh any monetary reimbursement if I win.
I had planned to breed her making her registration with the breed association increase both her and her offsprings value. If she’s not registered and ineligible to be registered due to lineage not being accurate, that’s a lost investment.
To add, I love this mare very much and while her not being registered would be an investment loss, I would never sell her or even send her back for the “true” horse I was supposed to buy. I have every intention to keep her for the rest of her days, but I don’t want these people to rip off anyone else, it’s the principle.