Man Suing Ex-Girlfriend for Selling His Family Heirloom: ‘Done With Her’ 

A furious man has explained why he’s taking legal action against his ex-girlfriend after she sold his family’s prized pickup truck to a junkyard, just to get back at him over an argument.

John, from Illinois, said that his girlfriend at the time sold his much-loved 1972 Ford F100 that was passed down in his family, telling Newsweek that he assumes she “did it just to hurt” him. Her action led John to file a police report.

He added that she could be “very jealous,” which often led them to have “arguments over dumb stuff.” However, when his ex-girlfriend sold the truck it was the final straw for John.

Taking to Reddit to tell his story as user u/Polaritium, John explained that his ex-girlfriend acted following a dispute over how much he looked after their two cats, leaving him absolutely furious.

In the now viral Reddit post titled “My girlfriend sold my car because of a petty argument. I am now suing her,” John, from Illinois, wrote: “She got the pickup truck, went to a junkyard and sold it! Worst part? She sold it for 400 dollars. Keep in mind, this truck was in pristine condition.

“When I got back home from the bar, I noticed the pickup wasn’t there. I asked her and she told me what she did. I instantly packed up my things, my cat, told her we were done and left.”

According to a 2022 survey of 1,000 U.S. adults that was conducted by YouGov, 44 percent of people said they are not friends with any of their exes, while 17 percent said they remain friends with their ex partners. Another 37 percent said they were friends with some of their exes.

There were also a mix of priorities for when a relationship ends, as 45 percent of people said the first thing they would do is change the passwords on any accounts with shared access. Returning possessions to an ex was also high on the agenda, as 44 percent listed that as the first thing they would do after breaking up.

Since John first shared his experience on Reddit, he has added four updates to the post. The updates informed the many invested Reddit users that he’s “filed a police report for the stolen F100,” and then it was eventually tracked down at a local junkyard.

After managing to retrieve the truck, John, who preferred not to give his surname, told Newsweek: “She sold it just to hurt me, I assume. I haven’t talked to her ever since the incident.

“I’d assume it was valued at around $9,500 since it was pristine body and engine-wise, but it had quite a high mileage. But after talking to my cousin, he said that if I get my stuff together then I could have a serious case.

“At first it was quite hard to decide, but then after a while I just lost it and said I’m done with her.”

Fortunately, the truck is still in good condition, but John said that “the paint is scratched” on it.

John’s post has received over 8,800 votes on Reddit and hundreds of comments imploring him to take action against his ex.

Jasmin Hughes, an attorney who specializes in administrative law and consumer protection, explained to Newsweek that the penalty for this sort of action can vary depending on the damage done and how much time it took John to retrieve his property.

Hughes said: “When someone knowingly takes property with the intention of depriving the owner, they have committed the tort of conversion.

“If the property isn’t returned or destroyed, the owner would be able to recover damages up to the fair market value for the property. In this scenario, there could still be a right of action, even though the property was returned.

“The amount of recovery depends on the amount of interference with the owner’s right to their property. For example, damages could include loss wages if he missed work due to not having access to his vehicle along with any potential damages to the vehicle.”

Among the 600 commenters on John’s post, many people were disgusted by the ex-girlfriend’s actions and encouraged him to act rather than let it slide.

One person commented: “That is theft and dealing in stolen property. File police report immediately. You will regret it if you don’t.”

Another person wrote: “She stole from you in an effort to hurt you and get her way. Hope things work out in your favor.”

Have you noticed any red flags that made you end a relationship? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.