A Smithville resident is wondering why the car he won through an auction from the Village of Ferrelview is sitting at the trailer where the chairperson and a trustee resides.
Gary Bowman won a white 2005 white Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor in January for the price of $2,500 but during the board of trustees meeting earlier this month, it was noted that he declined to purchase the car.
That turned into village trustee Russell Wilson, the husband of chairperson Theresa Wilson, winning the auction for two cars the city had up for bid — the other was a 2002 brown Ford Victoria Interceptor.
The brown car was still sitting at city hall as of Tuesday, while the white car is at the Wilson residence.
CODY THORN/Citizen photo
A 2005 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor sits at the Wilson residence last week in Ferrelview. The car was put up for auction by the village and in January, Gary Bowman had the winning bid, but the vehicle is currently in the possession of trustee Russell Wilson and chairperson Theresa Wilson. During the recent board meeting, it was learned Russell Wilson was the winning bidder of the car after stating that Bowman pulled his bid back, a claim the Smithville resident denies.
The car that Bowman bid on was original listed, incorrectly, as the 2002 vehicle.
“They said I didn’t want it and it was incorrect,” Bowman said. “I have been talking with Patsy (Murray, city clerk) all the time. She called and asked if I could take the car for $600 and I said yes. I called a friend of mine to go over and try to test drive it and they (the Wilson) refused to bring a battery or the keys for us to test drive it.”
Murray stated that Wilson paid $550 for the white vehicle, but not the $1,110 for the brown vehicle yet. During the recent council meeting, it was agreed upon by the board members that if Bowman would still take the car for his bid, Russell Wilson would give him the car and the city would reimburse him for the purchase, plus $100.
But as of Monday, Bowman knows the car is at the Wilsons and he isn’t sure why. He said he will pay $1,500, what the car is worth according to a car buying guide, but not the $2,500 he originally bid due to the error in the listing.
That bid would still be higher than Russell Wilson’s bid.
“Legally, I won the bid, so the car is mine,” said Bowman, an over-the-road trucker. “I’ll file charges against him; I do own the car. I don’t believe what they did was right. They (Ferrelview) don’t need people like that on the council.”
Bowman said he was told that Russell Wilson tried to register the vehicle this past weekend but that couldn’t be confirmed. In the backseat of the vehicle is campaign signs for the upcoming election.
When reached by phone on Monday, Russell Wilson said “everything was done legitimately,” but with Theresa Wilson talking in the background, he said, “We have no comment, write whatever you want.”