"Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
07/19/2017 at 10:18 • Filed to: None
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"Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
07/19/2017 at 10:18 • Filed to: None | 2
| 11 |
So yesterday I overheard this story from the service desk. A customer who refused to make a repair said he would pick up his car when he could. It was in running condition. He decided to leave it in the back of our lot for over 6 months. When picking it up he discovered that it had been vandalized. The radio stack and heater controls were ripped from car. I know in some states its the shops responsibility but the guy left it here for months and we didn’t even charge him storage which we do for insurance companies. Not sure if we will have to fix it or not. Here is the fun part, he wanted to look at our security camera footage. The service writer said “FOR OVER SIX MONTHS?”. The guy thought about it for a moment and his brain engaged. He doesn’t need to look at it now. Will post a follow up if anything else comes up on this.
As Du Volant
> Dave the car guy , still here
07/19/2017 at 10:22 |
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You guys are generous.
We give them 30 days before we start charging them storage fees and sending them nasty letters. At the two month mark it gets towed and they can deal with getting it back from the towing yard.
benjrblant
> As Du Volant
07/19/2017 at 10:24 |
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This probably alleviates any of your company’s responsibility in the above situation.
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Dave the car guy , still here
> As Du Volant
07/19/2017 at 10:30 |
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Storage is usually charged with insurance companies after 14 days if a total or declined. Its normally handled promptly. We seem to have maybe 3-4 in our lot at any time waiting to be retrieved and 1-2 may be here for a month or more. This guy they decide to be nice with and it may end up costing us.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> Dave the car guy , still here
07/19/2017 at 10:53 |
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A friend of mine (let’s call him Mike) was a diesel mechanic working for Freightliner. They had a truck that was dropped off for service and they performed the repairs, but the owner never came back for the truck. It wasn’t clear what happened, but it had something to do with the company going out of business or getting wrapped up in litigation.
After a year of no response from the owner, Mike was told to get the truck off the lot. He called a friend with a towing company and had the truck removed. After thirty days of no response from the owner, the towing company foreclosed on the vehicle and sold it back to Mike for the cost of the storage fees. Yes, that’s perfectly legal. The length of time varies by state, but it is 30 days in his.
That’s how Mike ended up with a lightly used Freightliner for less than $2,000.
Stapleface
> Dave the car guy , still here
07/19/2017 at 11:43 |
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Fine. Then tell him there was a clerical error and he owes 4 month back charges on lot fees.
Besides, isn’t this a whole “damages are not our responsibility” thing when parking in your lot?
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Dave the car guy , still here
> TheRealBicycleBuck
07/19/2017 at 12:18 |
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Not sure why but I’ve worked at several Ohio shops and they all waited 6 months to a year before getting a title and selling abandoned vehicles. If we wanted to be assholes in Ohio I’m pretty certain you can claim the vehicle as abandoned in 5-15 days depending on the type of business.
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Dave the car guy , still here
> Stapleface
07/19/2017 at 12:21 |
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It will be interesting to see how this ends up.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> Dave the car guy , still here
07/19/2017 at 12:31 |
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Looks like Ohio law requires at least 60 days before you can apply for a title for an abandoned vehicle. While searching, I came across a bunch of articles about problems with predatory towing practices in Ohio, so perhaps they are erring on the side of caution.
WiscoProud
> Stapleface
07/19/2017 at 12:36 |
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Was it a secured lot? If so, you’re likely on the hook for it. Even being an open lot you might be. Since he was allowed to keep it on your property for so long it would be reasonably assumed he had permission. As his vehicle was in the “custody” of the shop, it would be their responsibility.
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Dave the car guy , still here
> TheRealBicycleBuck
07/19/2017 at 12:41 |
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I’ve heard of some predatory tow companies in Cleveland, nowhere else but I don’t doubt it happens. We’ve always been generous to our customers. One shop I worked at repaired an older Cadillac and the owner after approving the work couldn’t come up with the money. We talked to the customer many times over a year and they kept saying they were getting the money and wanted the car. We got a title after a year and sold the car to a wholesaler. About a month later the owner came in and was pissed to know that it was gone. We gave them every chance and never were going to charge them a fee because we had a large lot.
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Dave the car guy , still here
> TheRealBicycleBuck
07/31/2017 at 22:55 |
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Update 7-31-2017. Looks like the customer is accepting that leaving the car for months wasn’t smart and isn’t trying to get any compensation.