Mechanic STOLE my car and Blew my motor help!!!!!

[808_SpyderGST]

Okay this is going to be a hell of a story but I need dsmer's help, advice, and opinions.

I took my car to a performance shop to have "pre-ventative maintenince" done timing belt accesory belts, water pump, 60,000 mile servicing on a 98 spyder GST. I was going to do it my self but I didnt have to time I run a small buisness and time = money. He said a day or two no problem. Dropped the car off to him on Dec. 13...

To make the story shorter lets say I called everyday and couldnt get a hold of him went by the shop it was closed every time I went. So on Dec. 20 I called the police and tried to report the car as stolen. Police arrive on the scene and after much argument and heated discussion refuse to write a police report. They say the car is not stolen I gave him the keys and he broke a contract agreement. It s a civil matter not criminal matter, they refuse to help me. I went up the chain of command all they way to a captain of the precint.

Next I do investigative work on my own get the owner of the shop's address and look up his phone number in the phone book. I track him down and call the number listed. A old man answers (his father) Isay the police are looking for the owner where is he. THe old man says he hasnt seen the owner for days. I get off the phone and 2 minutes later the owner of the shops sister calls me asking why I am harassing her father. I tell her I am looking for the owner of the shop she says she hanst seen him for days. Finnally 10 minutes later the owner of the shop calls me and ask why I am harassing his family. I say I want my car, meet me at the shop at 6 pm.

I arrive early to get my car and at 6:15 my car pulls up to the shop with a truck following behind it. The old man gets out of my car the owner of the shop says sorry my shop was full I had to park it at my sisters garage. I say give me my keys, and they leave. My car smells funny, the clutch is roasted and there are articles and clothing in the car that arent mine. HE ALSO PUT OVER 200 ADDITIONAL MILES ON MY CAR. I call the police they come out and say the car still wasnt stolen.

The car is taken to mitsubishi dealer and they do the work he never did, inspect the car, repair the clutch, and I get my car back on christmas eve after paying alot more to have it fixed at the dealer. I park it chirstmas day the next day and drive it monday and tuesday night under about 9 lbs. of boost accelerating to thrid gear the car stalls out with clouds of white smoke billowing out from under the hood. It is towed back to mitsubishi
and they inform me that the motor is done, the pistonin cylinder three has ruptured. The turbo is done for with shrapnal from the blown motor in it. Funny thing is the hole motor held its self together extremely well. The belts didnt jump the rest of the motor appeas to have held up everything except for the block.

So this is where I am at now, no police report so incurance wont cover it. Mitsubishi mechanic says that metal fatiuges and if the shop owner was abusing the hell out of my car it could cause a crack in the piston and over the 60 miles I put on it after it was recovered could have grew and grew until it broke and destroyed my engine with 67,000 miles on it.

The car is babyed and never driven extremely, never been raced, launched, abused, I open it up once a week to free up some carbon build up but nothing aggressive or rediculous.

HELP HELP HELP

I have an attorney and I am going to sue the shit out of this guy, soooo I might end up with lots of money for mods, if you have any ideas tell me. I always wanted a AWD Spyder GSX. And I have to get the motor built so I might as well go all out. What should I do if I want a reliable 400 whp daily driver. Mlopez has set up I like...

thanx

dsmer with a gorgeous ride that wont move!

 

[iowaboostin]

Wow Very sorry to hear about that man, that's really messed up. Don't you love it when the police are there when you need 'em?

Worry about the first things first, make sure you get every bit of evidence that he in fact stole the car, take all the pictures you can, find people who can back you up.... THEN take all that cash, PM me for my address, send me some money, then make your AWD Spyder

 

[Defiant]

Left nice car with supposed mechanic, blew it up after complicated recovery by melting #3, and I want to blame him.

 

[Defiant]

So on Dec. 20 I called the police and tried to report the car as stolen. Police arrive on the scene and after much argument and heated discussion refuse to write a police report. They say the car is not stolen I gave him the keys and he broke a contract agreement. It s a civil matter not criminal matter, they refuse to help me. I went up the chain of command all they way to a captain of the precint.

You could go to the governor, but it's still a civil case of embezzlement, for the very reason the police gave you.
Instead of a lawyer, you probably should have gone through small claims court- in customer versus mechanic situations, you have a great advantage there.

 

[igopoopy]

THEN take all that cash, PM me for my address, send me some money, then make your AWD Spyder

i say sue the shit out of him

 

[808_SpyderGST]

You could go to the governor, but it's still a civil case of embezzlement, for the very reason the police gave you.
Instead of a lawyer, you probably should have gone through small claims court- in customer versus mechanic situations, you have a great advantage there.

However in small claims court you cannot exceed 5000 dollars. I'm, looking for about 20,000 in repairs, loss of buisness, attorney's fees, personal damages. Thats requires civil circuit court.

 

[fwdtsi]

Sorry but that mechanic must be a pppiiimmpppp!!!

 

[leet]

Sorry but that mechanic must be a pppiiimmpppp!!!

Excuse me? He took a CUSTOMER'S car out for a joyride, destroyed it, and is a pppiiimmpppp?

It's people like you who are ruining the gene pool

 

[Phat95Talon]

, that's cRaZy! Sorry to hear that story. Also makes me a little nervous since my car has been at a shop for over a month and I haven't seen it.

 

[clipise]

beat that bastards ass

take law in to ur own hands.

 

[GeneralChaos]

beat that bastards ass

take law in to ur own hands.

id be goin with that route if the lawyer cant do anything for you.

Gotta love how they "havent seen him for days" when he calls 10 minutes later asking why your harassing his family.

 

[Rogue9]

Call Judge Judy...


Dont take him to small claims court. This is a civil case and so hit him up a fraud and distruction of property. Get reports from the dealer who you took your car to and any records that might say what condition your car was in before you took it to this guy. Lots of photo's will help to.

One thing to check is so see whos name is on the license for the shop. If its just him you might have probs getting all the money if he doesnt have it. ( you might then own a shop) but if his family is on it then that could work in your favor.

 

[Linkizunlistd]

Well you should sue the hell out of him cuz you are gonna need a hell of a lot of cash to convert that spyder to awd since they dont make em. I do believe there was one guy on here that did that tho. Search the gallery.
One.

 

[ITSME4G63]

looks like some old mechanic is going to get his dome busted!

 

[DSMTurboEclipse]

Sorry to hear about your complications. Hopefully justice will be served to you for all of this, keep us posted.

 

[Venum]

That's not cool at all, sorry to hear about your loss. I don't know why people insist on doing those things. Anyway, I would sue the mechanic but I don't think you'll get 20k. Good luck man, let us know how it turns out.

 

[xchox]

Lakehead Motors here in Thunder Bay did the same thing to my car! Took it in for repairs! They took all my aftermarket stuff and said it was never on the car! :thumbdown

 

[808_SpyderGST]

That's not cool at all, sorry to hear about your loss. I don't know why people insist on doing those things. Anyway, I would sue the mechanic but I don't think you'll get 20k. Good luck man, let us know how it turns out.

I have over $ 6000 in lost revenue for the months of decmeber and january.
I am currently searching for a used car to use until the situation is resolved so if I add up repairs, loss revenue, cost of having to purchase another car plus attorneys fees and court cost were talking around 20,000. hopefully will settle of of court or have a judgemnt of 10-15 thousand. Oh and I am using the quote from the dealer for cost of repairs 85 dollars and hour on a rebuilt motor! add it up

 

[leet]

I think he was trying to say that the mechanic probably doesn't have 20k to give you. ^^

 

[oldman]

I don't give my keys to anyone anymore, not even my girlfriend. Sorry to hear about your car.

 

[Stanford]

The exact reason I let no one else drive or work on my cars. Unless it is a fellow DSM'er helping me out or something like that. I would ruin that guys life if I were you. Make him pay for everything and then some. If not take it into your own hands. 200 Extra miles on the car, I would have gone "jackie chan" on that guy right there.

 

[ITSME4G63]

The exact reason I let no one else drive or work on my cars. Unless it is a fellow DSM'er helping me out or something like that. I would ruin that guys life if I were you. Make him pay for everything and then some. If not take it into your own hands. 200 Extra miles on the car, I would have gone "jackie chan" on that guy right there.

couldnt have said it better

 

[Froyd79]

I wish I had advice to give but this happened to me and its a lose lose situation. I sent in my car for a tune up, Went back to get it and not only was it running like christine at the end of the movie they handed me the bill. I left not paying they kept the car for 3 months refusing anyone to look at it. Police didnt care BBB said yeah they suck sue them, Attorney general said when taking my car there I release it in a at your own risk type of job meaning that the business insurance co. laughs at you your insurance company can hardly stop laughing at you for having full coverage and claiming vandalism. My lawyer teells me how these things work so I pay to get my car back have my motor tore down where there was a screw yes a screw on top of my piston that left its signature on my head. So I just got another motor and have never taken my car to a garage for anything but tires alignments and inspection. I have accumulated a lot more money this way. In my SE-R the door lock mechanism locked up so I took it to the garage to fix ( also in my let the garage do it days) after they fixed it I watched the guy take it for a test drive! WTF thats the people we deal with and after I talked to him he didnt have a license. Then a month later he wrecked the boss' vette. So The mechanics are in a win win situation they have nothing to lose! So when you have less time and more money it may still be in your best interest to find time and save money.

 

[Nautica985]

If you dont get any money out of this burn his business down and make his life a living hell.

 

[oldman]

If you dont get any money out of this burn his business down and make his life a living hell.

You kids crack me up. :laugh:

My suggestion is to spent a couple of days to gather all that you can and hand it over to your lawyer. Let him handle it it from that point on and let the out come fall where ever it may. Do not let it consume you as you have more important things to attend to, ie your car and business. Guys like that will always get his anyway.