Surrendering leased car and alternatives to driving

hwg · August 4

We will be turning my mom's leased car in this Friday. My mom, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2021, seems to be an OK driver (no accidents yet) but we recently moved her from NH to MA to an independent living facility in my neighborhood. She already let her NH license lapse and would never be able to handle the administration of changing her plates, insurance, license, getting inspections, oil changes, etc. (I take care of all of her business and administration in other areas of her life). So as her caretaker, I made the difficult decision that I was not going to help her be "legal" to drive in MA and to turn her lease car in. She leased a brand new car (without us knowing) in Nov. 2024 and has 2.5 years left on the lease. Does anyone have experience just surrending a leased car? Any best practices for getting me mother around to her errands and social events? Is Uber the best solution?

SusanB-dil · August 4

Hi hwg - Welcome to 'here', but sorry for the reason.

I just tried to look it up and found the following: It may be possible to negotiate with the leasing company for early termination or to transfer the lease to another party, like a family member. However, the leasing company's willingness to accommodate these options often depends on the specific circumstances and the terms of the original agreement.

You could consult with a lawyer on the specifics. Since she was diagnosed prior to signing the lease agreement, maybe, possibly, it may be invalid? I am definitely not a lawyer, so I would say you'd have to check, and with documented paperwork, that she did not have the mental capacity to legally sign such an agreement.

harshedbuzz · August 4

I'd definitely run the leasing question past a lawyer in your state before you terminate the lease/turn the car in. You may have options you don't know about. If you're her POA, you have a fiduciary obligation to act in her best interests. A call to the state consumer protection bureau may have some ideas.

In terms of transportation, does she have the ability to use an app on her smart phone? Is her executive function good enough that she could deal with a problem that arises with a driver or ride?

My elderly mom, no dementia, struggles with her smart phone. She can "call Uber" but they don't always answer. The last time she arranged an Uber wires got crossed and she ended up 30 miles away in a different state with a driver who doesn't speak English well. Things can go sideways. She's had a lot of no shows because of her gated community as well. I sometimes arrange her rides from my phone which tends to work better.

GoGograndparent is a concierge service that interfaces with Lyft and Uber. It seems safer but is more expensive.

https://get.gogograndparent.com/gogostart?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=458401335&utm_content=&utm_term=gogograndparent&loc=95604&msclkid=5414902f39451ffdcd96f8be28afe735

HB

JulietteBee · August 5

As far as transportation options:

If your mom has a Medicare Advantage plan, check if they provide rides. My mom's insurance provides 6 free rides per year. The rides are only to medical/dental appointments only.

Check the website for your county's Area Agency on Aging. In January, I stumbled on a FANTASTIC program offered by my county. It was a concierge service that would provide mom with FREE round trip rides via Lyft. The trip could be to attend any function, once it was within the county and would cost no more than $50 r/t or $25 one-way. I gave my number as contact, since mom has lost much of her ability to send & receive txts, they contacted me when the driver was enroute and I would call her with the details. After receiving about a dozen rides over those 6 months, they ran out of funding June 1st. 😢

Then, there is TOPS which is a medical transportation company that provides seriously discounted rides.

Last, but certainly not least, one of the major reasons I chose my mom's IL facility is that they provide free private transportation to medical/dental appointments within a certain radius of the apartment complex. All my mom's doctors are within their radius. Additionally, they have a bus that takes the residents out twice per week to do "neighborhood errands" at banks, post office, grocery store, malls, and library.

As I myself am ill, I rely heavily on the IL facility to take her to & from her appointments, especially now, while she still maintains a very high level of cognitive reserves.

Surrendering leased car and alternatives to driving

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