Your car builder rapes you...what would you do?

[69LM1]

That Sucks.
Good Luck with court. Make sure you sue him before he sues you. You will in most cases be pressured to "settle" out of court. If he sues you first, then you may even have to pay him! Make sure that your lawyer is connected.

I was once screwed by my homebuilder. Turns out he was not a LA licensed contractor (400k house), screwed up my new home with a 50,000 error, and still wanted 15k to leave the job site. He sued me first, using a local lawyer. I have several "high" profile law firms as customers, in New Orleans (this new house is in the burbs). Long story short, I wound up paying him the 15,000 even though by law he was supposed to be a licensed contractor. His lawyer was a connected ambulance chaser, and the judge thought that the case should be "settled".

Don't let a little thing like facts and the truth get in the way of losing a case!

My .02, Make sure you sue him first, get a local and connected lawyer and ask for three times what you want so that you can "settle" for what is fair...........

Best of Luck,

Rich

[GRB]

SS 427 COPO, I guess my reaction to this is as inexplicable as the story itself. I can't muster the anger, or at least not for long, to want to hurt this person. I'm too disappointed and perplexed by what he has done to do anything other than what I have to do.

I'd like to just forget it but I can't live with myself knowing I've let someone maliciously steal thousands of dollars that could I could give to one of my kids, a needy person or whatever.

I'm far from perfect but I inherited a strong sense of right and wrong from my father. What was done to me was wrong. A judge will see that in no time. The defendant in this case has no excuse whatsoever. And God help him if a judge has to issue a court order to force him to finally give me an invoice.

Rich - he has no grounds to sue me. Before I sue I will have to give him a chance to make restitution. And I'm sure a judge will order binding arbitration. I now doubt he has the common sense or good judgement to do the right thing.

[Mr70]

Please keep us updated on how this turns out.
I'm sure there are others here who have gone through a similar experience,
but unwilling to follow up or talk about it now.
Maybe your results will encourage them to do so.

[GRB]

There are lessons to be learned for sure. When all is said and done maybe I'll know what they are. It almost appears that someone at this automotive shop wanted to sabotage my car. That sounds paranoid and doesn't explain the owners actions. But, there is always more to these stories than meets the eye. That's why we have discovery, subpoena, depositions and the entire legal process....to hopefully find the truth.

[Ngtflyr]

I wish you well and fully support your cause. I have found in my dealings with the justice system that it is anything but. Common Sense and what is obviously right seem to fall by the wayside. I recommend you go in armed with an expert that can outgun the opposition. Pull off the gloves and don't give the shop owner any outs based on your previous relationship. If you still plan to talk reason with him, first get the best lawyer around on retainer before he does so he can't use him against you. Do not go into a discussion threatening a lawsuit without first retaining the best legal counsel in the area.

[Hank Williams Jr]

Go talk with all of the best lawyers about the case, and 'consider' retaining them.

Then if he tries to get one of the 'best lawyers around' - they wont be able to defend him (take his case) because of their prior discussion with you.

[GRB]

Ngtflyr - The last "best in his field" atty I hired in ATL wanted a $100k retainer. This won't be that kind of case. The defendant will probably get one of his customers to represent him if we have to go to court. I will have excellent representation. Given the fact, I would hope his atty would advise him to settle and cut his losses. Again, that is what is so perplexing about this matter, he is caught red-handed with his hand in the cookie jar. There is too much proof that he and his atty would have to overcome.

I'm no atty but having spent 5 years and literally thousands of hours on an antitrust case, not to mention many other civil suits in which I have been both the plaintiff and the defendant, I would not be surprised to see a judge in this case award me all the labor I was charged plus some amount for the diminished value of the car.

In fact, this may be the reason he refuses to provide me with an invoice. We'll see what happens next within the next few weeks. Remember things can be memorialized in many more ways in this digital age than was possible just a decade ago.

Hank - Our long relationship and his name and impeccable reputation will work against him in this case. Were he some 'Johnny-come-lately' I would bitch slap myself and be done with it for being so trusting. That ain't the case!

[rich p]

Didnt you take the guy for a ride and slam some gears with him in the car ?????

Sounds like he didnt want to drive it cause they already messed it up !!

A guy down here has had three fires at his shop.I dont think they like him either.
It was quite funny when you drove away and come back. The guy would get real pissed and ask: What the Hell did you do to it,it ran fine before you took it !!

[GRB]

That's a possibility but makes no sense whatsoever. Maybe they knew it wouldn't run. So what did they think I was going to do with a car that wouldn't idle or run, few of the gauges worked and raw engine gas just poured into the cabin ??? Just go away and forget about the whole thing?

I think this man, considering our long relationship, hoped I would bite the bullet and take the car somewhere else and forget our goals (remember there is a short piece on this car in the April '04 Chevy Rumble).