FLsilverado09
Junior Member
Sarasota, FL
Hi,
First off, thank you for anyone can help me with my problem! I'm sorry for the long post but am in a desperate situation.
In June of last year, I was involved in a accident and incurred major damage to the frontend of my '09 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
While traveling with the tow truck driver he mentioned to me that he was also a mechanic and knew the owner of a "very good" body shop that he was about to leave his current job for. In my flustered and desperate state, I eventually had my truck towed to this body shop for repair.
Because I had just had my Missouri Insurance cancelled, I discussed with the owner that I would like to keep things as inexpensive as possible.
He gave me a rough estimate($9k) and said it wouldn't take over a month but needed a $4500 deposit to cover the purchase of a front clip(all body and frame parts). I payed the money up front and sat back to wait...
Over the 6 months I waited by continually hearing that he was waiting to find a major engine part that would add $1500 to the cost if purchased new. After 6 months with no progress I finally said that I wanted my truck and money minus storage) fees back. I left for a 9 day work trip and miraculously returned to all the parts at the shop and mostly completed truck.
This was great news except that the owner of the shop said that now the price was going to be close to $12k!!
I had never signed any paperwork authorizing them to work on the truck and was very frustrated... I left telling them that was about to leave for a work trip for a month.
Forgetting that I had told them I was leaving the country and wouldn't have my phone on; the owner took ALL the new parts off out of fear i was going to take legal action.
I returning from Chile, I visited the shop and negotiated a price of $10k. I informed him that I was about to leave for another work trip to Mexico and he promised that it would be be done by the time I returned.
Long story short, it wasn't done by the date promised and for the last 2 months I've been calling and hearing the same "will be done by next Friday" line.
Last week I reached the end of my patience and demanded the truck be done by this Friday or I would be hiring an attorney. Another but more serious promise was made that it would be done by this friday(tomorrow). Today I received a call stating that it was not ready...
Later on in the day I called back and got ahold of the main body/mechanic guy who ended up telling me everything that has happened including how frustrated he was with this guy and was ready to quit.
The worst of the things he told me was that when the owner removed all the parts, he placed the truck back in the yard leaving the open engine uncovered...and in his opinion the engine was " was ruined" and even if they got it running;
"it probably wouldn't last 6 months."
The mechanic/body guy is completely fed up with the owner and ready to
quit along with the second in command body/mechanic. He stated that he would be willing to sign a statement and testify in court against the owner as he and the other guy are both ready to quit.
My question is what do I do next? I really want to get my truck away from these guys but assuming I pay the remainder and take possession of the truck, do I limit my rights to seeking legal action?
Thank you so much for any help you can give me... This whole ordeal has been a nightmare, and left me completely dependent on my roommate, girlfriend, and bike to get around and to work.
Hi,
First off, thank you for anyone can help me with my problem! I'm sorry for the long post but am in a desperate situation.
In June of last year, I was involved in a accident and incurred major damage to the frontend of my '09 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.
While traveling with the tow truck driver he mentioned to me that he was also a mechanic and knew the owner of a "very good" body shop that he was about to leave his current job for. In my flustered and desperate state, I eventually had my truck towed to this body shop for repair.
Because I had just had my Missouri Insurance cancelled, I discussed with the owner that I would like to keep things as inexpensive as possible.
He gave me a rough estimate($9k) and said it wouldn't take over a month but needed a $4500 deposit to cover the purchase of a front clip(all body and frame parts). I payed the money up front and sat back to wait...
Over the 6 months I waited by continually hearing that he was waiting to find a major engine part that would add $1500 to the cost if purchased new. After 6 months with no progress I finally said that I wanted my truck and money minus storage) fees back. I left for a 9 day work trip and miraculously returned to all the parts at the shop and mostly completed truck.
This was great news except that the owner of the shop said that now the price was going to be close to $12k!!
I had never signed any paperwork authorizing them to work on the truck and was very frustrated... I left telling them that was about to leave for a work trip for a month.
Forgetting that I had told them I was leaving the country and wouldn't have my phone on; the owner took ALL the new parts off out of fear i was going to take legal action.
I returning from Chile, I visited the shop and negotiated a price of $10k. I informed him that I was about to leave for another work trip to Mexico and he promised that it would be be done by the time I returned.
Long story short, it wasn't done by the date promised and for the last 2 months I've been calling and hearing the same "will be done by next Friday" line.
Last week I reached the end of my patience and demanded the truck be done by this Friday or I would be hiring an attorney. Another but more serious promise was made that it would be done by this friday(tomorrow). Today I received a call stating that it was not ready...
Later on in the day I called back and got ahold of the main body/mechanic guy who ended up telling me everything that has happened including how frustrated he was with this guy and was ready to quit.
The worst of the things he told me was that when the owner removed all the parts, he placed the truck back in the yard leaving the open engine uncovered...and in his opinion the engine was " was ruined" and even if they got it running;
"it probably wouldn't last 6 months."
The mechanic/body guy is completely fed up with the owner and ready to
quit along with the second in command body/mechanic. He stated that he would be willing to sign a statement and testify in court against the owner as he and the other guy are both ready to quit.
My question is what do I do next? I really want to get my truck away from these guys but assuming I pay the remainder and take possession of the truck, do I limit my rights to seeking legal action?
Thank you so much for any help you can give me... This whole ordeal has been a nightmare, and left me completely dependent on my roommate, girlfriend, and bike to get around and to work.