ASSOCIATED PRESS
OSCEOLA, Iowa -- A Diagonal woman is upset with a classic car she won in a drawing last month at the Lakeside Casino Resort in Osceola.
Debbie Shields says the shiny red 1963 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport convertible is a lemon. And she owes an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in state and federal taxes on the car that a local dealer tells her is worth only about $3,700. And she says she was banned from the casino when she complained about it.
Shields, 44, a self-employed seamstress, says it takes two people to start the classic car -- one fiddling with the carburetor while the other turns the ignition key. The heater has been disconnected and the tail pipe blows blue smoke.
The paint is mismatched and chipped, and rust is bubbling through the surface, Shields said. In addition, she claims, the convertible top has holes in it.
The casino purchased the car for $17,500 from Bob Brown Chevrolet in Des Moines.
Scott Ditch, a gambling representative for the commission at Osceola, said Lakeside's managers appeared to properly follow state regulations in conducting the drawing. The rules, which were taped to the barrel where entry blanks were placed, included explanations that the winner was responsible for applicable taxes, had to be at least 21 years old, and had to be present to win.
Ron Brown, president of Bob Brown Chevrolet, said Wednesday that he wants to keep his customers happy and that he is hopeful he can negotiate a satisfactory resolution to Shields' complaints. However, he said, he strongly disagrees that the car is worth only $3,714.
A more reasonable appraisal for such a vintage vehicle is $17,000 to $22,000, he said.
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OSCEOLA, Iowa -- A Diagonal woman is upset with a classic car she won in a drawing last month at the Lakeside Casino Resort in Osceola.
Debbie Shields says the shiny red 1963 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport convertible is a lemon. And she owes an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in state and federal taxes on the car that a local dealer tells her is worth only about $3,700. And she says she was banned from the casino when she complained about it.
Shields, 44, a self-employed seamstress, says it takes two people to start the classic car -- one fiddling with the carburetor while the other turns the ignition key. The heater has been disconnected and the tail pipe blows blue smoke.
The paint is mismatched and chipped, and rust is bubbling through the surface, Shields said. In addition, she claims, the convertible top has holes in it.
The casino purchased the car for $17,500 from Bob Brown Chevrolet in Des Moines.
Scott Ditch, a gambling representative for the commission at Osceola, said Lakeside's managers appeared to properly follow state regulations in conducting the drawing. The rules, which were taped to the barrel where entry blanks were placed, included explanations that the winner was responsible for applicable taxes, had to be at least 21 years old, and had to be present to win.
Ron Brown, president of Bob Brown Chevrolet, said Wednesday that he wants to keep his customers happy and that he is hopeful he can negotiate a satisfactory resolution to Shields' complaints. However, he said, he strongly disagrees that the car is worth only $3,714.
A more reasonable appraisal for such a vintage vehicle is $17,000 to $22,000, he said.
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