Garcia v. Auto Nation North - Appeal of Contract Dispute
Summary
The Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's judgment in favor of Auto Nation North in a case filed by Roy Garcia. Garcia's appeal concerned his attempt to purchase a vehicle using a non-negotiable instrument, which Auto Nation refused to accept.
What changed
The Colorado Court of Appeals has affirmed a trial court's judgment in favor of Auto Nation North in the case of Garcia v. Auto Nation North. The appellant, Roy Garcia, had attempted to purchase a vehicle by providing a purchase agreement with a notation "Pay to the order of Auto Nation North without recourse" instead of traditional payment methods. Auto Nation refused the sale, leading to Garcia's lawsuit alleging breach of contract and violations of various federal and state consumer protection laws, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, and the Uniform Commercial Code. The trial court denied Garcia's motion for summary judgment and subsequently ruled in favor of Auto Nation after a bench trial.
This appellate decision upholds the trial court's findings, affirming that Garcia's method of payment was not a valid negotiable instrument. The ruling has limited practical implications for most businesses as it addresses a specific contractual dispute. However, it reinforces the importance of adhering to standard payment and financing procedures in consumer transactions. No new compliance actions are required for regulated entities based on this non-precedential opinion, but it serves as a reminder of the legal framework governing vehicle purchases and contract disputes.
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March 12, 2026 Get Citation Alerts Download PDF Add Note
Garcia v. Auto Nation North
Colorado Court of Appeals
- Citations: None known
- Docket Number: 25CA1037
Precedential Status: Non-Precedential
Combined Opinion
25CA1037 Garcia v Auto Nation North 03-12-2026
COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS
Court of Appeals No. 25CA1037
City and County of Denver District Court No. 24CV764
Honorable Kandace C. Gerdes, Judge
Roy Garcia,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Auto Nation North,
Defendant-Appellee.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED
Division IV
Opinion by JUDGE FREYRE
Brown and Schutz, JJ., concur
NOT PUBLISHED PURSUANT TO C.A.R. 35(e)
Announced March 12, 2026
Roy Garcia, Pro Se
Michael G. McKinnon, Littleton, Colorado, for Defendant-Appellee
¶1 Plaintiff, Roy Garcia, appeals the judgment in favor of
defendant, Auto Nation North (Auto Nation). We affirm.1
I. Background
¶2 In September 2024, Garcia attempted to purchase a car from
Auto Nation and executed a purchase agreement. But rather than
providing currency, a credit card, or other financing, Garcia wrote,
“Pay to the order of Auto Nation North without recourse” on the
reverse side of the purchase agreement. Because the purchase
agreement was not a negotiable instrument, Auto Nation refused to
complete the sale of the vehicle or permit Garcia to take possession
of the vehicle.
¶3 Garcia then initiated this action. His complaint alleged a
breach of contract and violations of the Truth in Lending Act, 15
U.S.C. § 1635 (a); the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, §§ 6-1-101
1 On December 8, 2025, Garcia filed a motion seeking several forms
of relief, including compelling a decision in this appeal. On
December 22, that motion was denied as improper under C.A.R. 27.
On January 29, 2026, Garcia filed a motion to “vacate” the
December 22 order and renew his December 8 motion. To the
extent the January 29 motion seeks a decision in this appeal, we
deny it as moot due to the decision entered today. To the extent the
January 29 motion raises issues not raised in the opening brief, we
decline to consider them and deny the motion.
1
to -1812, C.R.S. 2025; the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) § 3-603
(A.L.I. & Unif. L. Comm’n 2022); the Fair Debt Collection Practices
Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692h; the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15
U.S.C. § 78c(a)(10); § 11-51-201(17), C.R.S. 2025; and “the Equal
Opportunity Credit Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1602 (9).” After Auto Nation
filed its answer, Garcia filed a motion for summary judgment under
UCC section 3-603(a). The trial court denied Garcia’s motion,
finding that “[d]isputed issues of material fact preclude the entry of
summary judgment in favor of the Plaintiff.”
¶4 The court conducted a bench trial on May 30, 2025, and
issued a written judgment that stated:
This action came for trial to the Court on May
30, 2025. The issues were duly tried and the
Court rendered a decision for Defendant on all
claims brought by Plaintiff. The Court, at the
conclusion of the May 30, 2025 trial, delivered
an oral ruling, incorporated herein by this
reference.
¶5 Garcia then appealed. In June 2025, this court advised
Garcia that “[i]f appellant intends to include transcripts of any
hearing or trial included in the record on appeal, the appellant
must file a designation of transcripts with the trial court and an
advisory copy with the appellate court within 7 days of the date of
2
filing the appellant’s notice of appeal.” Garcia never designated the
trial transcript as part of the appellate record; thus, we are without
the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law following the
trial.
¶6 In October 2025, Garcia filed a motion to supplement the
record, “to enforce a transcript fee waiver, and to address
concealment of court records.” He asserted the following:
• “The district court issued an order signed by Chief
Justice Christopher Jay Baumann on August 4, 2025,
waiving all e-service fees, including transcript fees.”
• “Despite this order, the transcript office demands
payment and a signed agreement to pay fees before
releasing the transcripts.”
• “The Appellant cannot comply without violating the
district court’s order and federal public policy.”
• “It is known within the court system that certain
transcripts were not included in the record, raising
serious concerns about concealment of court records.”
¶7 Garcia asked this court to take the following actions:
3
• “Order supplementation of the appellate record to include
all trial transcripts without delay.”
• “Enforce the district court’s fee waiver order, mandating
transcript production without any payment or fee.”
• “Declare that any demand for transcript fees violates
Public Law 73-10, House Resolution 192, and
established public policy.”
• “Investigate and address any violations of 18 U.S.C.
§§ 2071, 2076, and 1946 related to concealment or
withholding of court records.”
• “Provide any additional relief the Court deems just and
proper to ensure a fair and complete appellate process.”
¶8 This court denied Garcia’s motion:
The federal law cited by appellant does not
apply to this case. Further, the district court’s
order waiving the filing fee did not waive
transcript fees. CJD 98-01 does not permit a
court to waive filing fees in a civil case.
Further, “there is no right to transcripts at
state expense in a civil action.” Almarez v.
Carpenter, 477 P.2d 792, 794 ([Colo.] 1970).
¶9 On appeal, Garcia contends that the trial court erred by (1)
denying his motion for summary judgment; (2) “violating the
4
doctrine of stare decisis and the Code of Conduct for United States
judges by ignoring binding precedent”; (3) misinterpreting the term
“funds” and failing to recognize Garcia’s status as a holder in due
course, affecting enforceability of the instrument; (4) failing to
recognize Garcia’s perfected security interest recorded with the
Colorado Secretary of State; (5) applying UCC section 3-603(b)
regarding tender and wrongful dishonor; (6) failing to properly apply
the Colorado Consumer Protection Act; and (7) admitting
undisclosed, unauthenticated, and fraudulent evidence in violation
of discovery rules.
II. Denial of Garcia’s Motion for Summary Judgment
¶ 10 Garcia’s contention that the trial court erred in denying his
motion for summary judgment is not properly before us. “[A] denial
of a motion for summary judgment is not a final determination on
the merits and, therefore, is not an appealable order.” Tisch v.
Tisch, 2019 COA 41, ¶ 47 (quoting Karg v. Mitchek, 983 P.2d 21, 25
(Colo. App. 1998)). Nor is such a denial appealable after a final
judgment. Karg, 983 P.2d at 25. Thus, we need not address the
merits of Garcia’s argument regarding the trial court’s denial of his
motion for summary judgment.
5
III. Garcia’s Remaining Contentions
¶ 11 Garcia’s remaining contentions relate to evidence presented at
the trial. But Garcia has not provided us with the trial transcript.
“It is incumbent upon the moving party to designate all those
portions of the record necessary for the appeal.” Hock v. N.Y. Life
Ins. Co., 876 P.2d 1242, 1252 (Colo. 1994); C.A.R. 10(d)(3) (“The
appellant must include in the record transcripts of all proceedings
necessary for considering and deciding the issues on appeal.”). This
gap in the record has consequences for our decision-making
because, if relevant transcripts are not included in the record on
appeal, we must presume that the trial court’s findings and
conclusions are supported by the evidence. See Digit. Landscape
Inc. v. Media Kings LLC, 2018 COA 142, ¶ 81; Hock, 876 P.2d at
1252 (“An appellate court must presume that the trial court’s
findings and conclusions are supported by the evidence when the
appellant has failed to provide a complete record.”). Applying that
presumption, we affirm the court’s judgment.
IV. Disposition
¶ 12 The judgment is affirmed.
JUDGE BROWN and JUDGE SCHUTZ concur.
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