WHAT HAPPENS IN THE LEASE-ASSUMPTION PROCESS?
Cadillac Financial’s lease assumption program helps facilitate a lease takeover from one party to another.
REQUIREMENTS
Lease assumption requirements:
- Vehicle must be registered/titled in the same state as the Assuming Lessee(s).
- Note: Assuming Lessee(s) must have a driver's license issued in the same state where the vehicle is registered. Permits or state IDs are not accepted.
- There is no attempt to transfer the lease from a commercial to a noncommercial account or vice versa.
- The lease is not within the last six months of the lease agreement.
- Assuming lessee must meet all of Cadillac Financial’s underwriting and credit guidelines.
- The account is current on payments and will remain current through the lease-assumption process.
- If a lease is contracted under multiple parties, the lease can be assumed by new lessees if all parties agree and sign third-party authorization forms and the new contract.
-
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Original lessee contacts Cadillac Financial to start lease assumption
- Within three to five business days, both parties will receive a third-party authorization form via DocuSign, overnight delivery or email, and the assuming (new) lessee will receive a credit application.
TIME-SAVER TIP: Provide your email addresses to save time and speed up communication by email.
- Once forms are returned, Cadillac Financial will determine whether the lease assumption fits all established criteria
- If the lease assumption is approved, the packet is sent to the assuming lessee first.
- If lease assumption is not approved, Cadillac Financial will notify both parties.
- If the lease assumption is approved, the packet is sent to the assuming lessee first.
- Original lessee contacts Cadillac Financial to start lease assumption
-
LEASE-ASSUMPTION PROCESSING
- All account approvals and signatures must occur within the 30-day window, or Cadillac Financial must recheck the assuming lessee’s credit
- If the lease assumption isn’t finalized within the 30-day window due to missing documents, Cadillac Financial must obtain new authorizations from the assuming party within 15 days. If we do not receive all documents or authorizations in that period, the lease-assumption process must start over.
- If the lease assumption isn’t finalized within the 30-day window due to missing documents, Cadillac Financial must obtain new authorizations from the assuming party within 15 days. If we do not receive all documents or authorizations in that period, the lease-assumption process must start over.
TIME-SAVER TIP: Up to seven days in the process can be saved if the original lessee and assuming lessee arrange to sign the documents together.
- Both parties sign the new contract
- Cadillac Financial sends the contract via overnight delivery to the assuming lessee.
- If both parties do not sign documents together, assuming lessee signs and returns paperwork to Cadillac Financial. Then Cadillac Financial sends it to the original lessee, who signs and returns it to Cadillac Financial.
- A $625 transfer fee, along with any applicable taxes, are due to be paid by assuming lessee along with this paperwork.
- Once Cadillac Financial receives all documents, signatures and fees, it typically takes five to seven business days to process.
- Once Cadillac Financial has approved all documents, the assuming lessee will receive a phone call and welcome packet in the mail. The original lessee will receive a confirmation by mail as well.
- All account approvals and signatures must occur within the 30-day window, or Cadillac Financial must recheck the assuming lessee’s credit
-
VEHICLE TRANSFER PROCESS
- Original lessee should arrange vehicle handoff with assuming lessee
- The process will vary depending on which state you live in, so follow the instructions on the registration packet you receive
- Assuming lessee must register the vehicle at the tax assessor/motor vehicle department/secretary of state office listed on the vehicle registration form
- Assuming lessee must register within 15 days of registration notification or receipt of title paperwork sent to them by Cadillac Financial.
- Cadillac Financial is not responsible for upfront taxes not paid by original lessee, nor penalties charged by the state if the registration is allowed to expire.
- Assuming lessee must register within 15 days of registration notification or receipt of title paperwork sent to them by Cadillac Financial.
- There is a transfer period in which your state’s driver licensing and vehicle registration office processes the new registration
- The exact length of this process is outside of Cadillac Financial’s control.
- The vehicle is not registered until confirmed by the state entity responsible for registration.
- This period varies from state to state and can take up to 20 days.
- The exact length of this process is outside of Cadillac Financial’s control.
- Assuming lessee needs to have a signed authorization of insurance
- Assuming lessee needs to complete any state or local vehicle inspections as required by law
- Original lessee should arrange vehicle handoff with assuming lessee
For more information, you may also log in to CadillacFinancial.com/MyAccount and message our Concierge team, or you may call us at 1-877-2CF-LUXE (1-877-223-5893).