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Auto mechanic sold my car to a junkyard

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juez derecho

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

I took my car to a mechanic to get looked at for stalling and rough driving and idling. The car was not drivable. The mechanic looked at it and a few days later called me and said the damage would be at least $2000 to repair. I told him I would think about it. Before I even took the car to the shop, I had moved out of the area and had no place to store it. My plan was to get the vehicle fixed and drive it back home. I made a mistake by just leaving the car with him. I left it there for 8 months and he never called me about it. Finally, I called him to check up on it. He told me that the car was "gone" and he didn't know where it was. He said an employee had it towed away. He said he had no paper work, and never went through any procedures to declare the car abandoned. Finally, after threatening to sue him, he finally revealed that the car was sold and transported across state lines to a junk yard. I called the junk yard and found out the car had been partially stripped. Before I could have at least driven the car up onto a tow and pulled it myself, but now the thing was in such shape that I couldn't even start it. I have thought about suing the mechanic but I don't think it's even worth it. The car's FMV is (or was) about $1000. But here is what bothers me: the mechanic said he has done this before and nobody complained. Isn't this against the law? Selling people's legally titled cars without their consent?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


BL

Senior Member
Short answer .

It's legal .

You didn't contact him for 8 months to tell the mechanic what you had though about the repair cost .
 

Ozark_Sophist

Senior Member
Some shops charge for storage. You sue him in small claims for the value of the car, $1000. He countersues for storage, say $10 to $20 per day. Who would come out ahead? Eight months at $10 a day is $2400 (if he still had the car).

--shop policies vary; storage fees should be in writing (by policy or statute).
 

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