Attorney Robert Silverman of Kimmel and Silverman, and Lemonlaw.com, says a lease is a contract for a limited period of time. But what happens if your lease ends while non-essential businesses are closed?
"If they don't want that car anymore, they should first attempt to call the bank or finance company or dealer and say I want to return this car,” he said.
He says it's on the dealer to make arrangements for the return of the car.
"The leasing company, the bank, the dealer has no right to say too bad, you're keeping it because there's a COVID situation,” he added.
And Silverman says you are under no obligation to continue to pay a lease after it has expired.
If they’re uncooperative, he recommends sending a letter by certified mail stating you refuse to extend it. Silverman says if you are unable to return the car, you are under no obligation to make payments but you would need to make sure that you are under your mileage limit and that you keep up your insurance.
"Car dealers, car manufacturers, banks, they can't auction these cars off. They can't sell these cars, because there are no dealers selling them, so there's a glut of cars on the market,” he said