Redneck Paint Job...continued
09-06-2003, 01:24 PM
#1
Racer
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Redneck Paint Job...continued
You may have seen or posted to this thread about the backyard body shop holding my car for ransom:
Help! What are my rights?
Well here's the latest news. He was served his subpoena Wednesday afternoon, 24 hours after kicked me out of his shop. Thursday I went and talked to a real body shop whose work I have seen and really been impressed with. I showed them the $1300 materials list and they thought that was very ridiculous considering repaint materials run them about $300-$500 max. He was pretty upset and said guys like this give body shops a bad name. He hates when he has customers come in with insurance work, already knowing they are going to get screwed over. He told me he would look at the car himself and go court with me if need be.
Well, Friday I asked the painter if I could come look at my car. He said no, but said he wanted to work out a deal to keep from going to court. I have given this guy $1900 and he wants $1350 more. I told him I would offer $600 meeting him halfway. He said he could do that. I said well make a counter-offer. He said $1350 and he won't charge me storage. I was shocked that this guy is still such an idiot. He said that we would have to get $500 lawyers and he would tie this up in court for 6-8 months. I told him whatever.
So I call the magistrate's office and they tell me that he can't bar me from looking at the car, we don't need, nor do they recommend lawyers for small claims (duh), and that this would be over one way or another on October 2nd, not 6 or 8 months from now. They gave me a Police number to call so I could make him give me access to my car.
I call the police and they call his boss at work and his boss tells him he needs to call the police. I hated to embarrass him at work, but it has been embarrassing for me to have my car gone this long and now kidnapped for ransom.
Well, now he wants to work a deal again. I go talk to him and he tells me $1350 doesn't even cover all the materials! I offer him $675, exactly halfway, and he says he needs $1350!
Well, Jason from Custom Finish and I, ride up to look at the car. At first, he won't let us in the shop. I let him know that I had already called the police on the way to his shop, and I was telling the truth. He reluctantly let us in and Jason grilled him about material usage, paint techniques, etc. The painter was very fidgety and nervous and couldn't answer many of Jason's questions, including, "How did you spray a whole gallon of clear-coat on a car this size?" or, "Where exactly did you use 475 sheets of sandpaper?"
After we left Jason said that I had a decent $2000-$2200 paint job and this guy should be happy with the $2500 I had offered. Jason said he will go to court with me.
Oh yeah, on the way to Jason's that day, MichelleJD called and gave some great advice and encouragement. Thanks Michelle!
Robert, the saga continues....
Help! What are my rights?
Well here's the latest news. He was served his subpoena Wednesday afternoon, 24 hours after kicked me out of his shop. Thursday I went and talked to a real body shop whose work I have seen and really been impressed with. I showed them the $1300 materials list and they thought that was very ridiculous considering repaint materials run them about $300-$500 max. He was pretty upset and said guys like this give body shops a bad name. He hates when he has customers come in with insurance work, already knowing they are going to get screwed over. He told me he would look at the car himself and go court with me if need be.
Well, Friday I asked the painter if I could come look at my car. He said no, but said he wanted to work out a deal to keep from going to court. I have given this guy $1900 and he wants $1350 more. I told him I would offer $600 meeting him halfway. He said he could do that. I said well make a counter-offer. He said $1350 and he won't charge me storage. I was shocked that this guy is still such an idiot. He said that we would have to get $500 lawyers and he would tie this up in court for 6-8 months. I told him whatever.
So I call the magistrate's office and they tell me that he can't bar me from looking at the car, we don't need, nor do they recommend lawyers for small claims (duh), and that this would be over one way or another on October 2nd, not 6 or 8 months from now. They gave me a Police number to call so I could make him give me access to my car.
I call the police and they call his boss at work and his boss tells him he needs to call the police. I hated to embarrass him at work, but it has been embarrassing for me to have my car gone this long and now kidnapped for ransom.
Well, now he wants to work a deal again. I go talk to him and he tells me $1350 doesn't even cover all the materials! I offer him $675, exactly halfway, and he says he needs $1350!
Well, Jason from Custom Finish and I, ride up to look at the car. At first, he won't let us in the shop. I let him know that I had already called the police on the way to his shop, and I was telling the truth. He reluctantly let us in and Jason grilled him about material usage, paint techniques, etc. The painter was very fidgety and nervous and couldn't answer many of Jason's questions, including, "How did you spray a whole gallon of clear-coat on a car this size?" or, "Where exactly did you use 475 sheets of sandpaper?"
After we left Jason said that I had a decent $2000-$2200 paint job and this guy should be happy with the $2500 I had offered. Jason said he will go to court with me.
Oh yeah, on the way to Jason's that day, MichelleJD called and gave some great advice and encouragement. Thanks Michelle!
Robert, the saga continues....
09-06-2003, 01:48 PM
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Racer
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Thanks! It's become a challenge now, and I am actually enjoying the process of putting the needle to this guy. He's realy getting nervous. He told me yesterday that he know the magistrate and everyone that works for him. I said, "Good.....then why are you so afraid to go to court?"
09-06-2003, 01:58 PM
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Nah, too far into the legal proceedings now. As ineffective as it may be, I will be calling EPA, IRS, Fire Code inspector, BBB, Zoning inspector, County tak commisioner, DHEC, and anyone else I think might go over there and screw with him a little bit.
09-06-2003, 06:32 PM
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We're all with you on this one. I think this guy realizes you are not going to roll over and give him what he wants. I hope you nail him and get your car back. Good luck and keep us posted!
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09-06-2003, 07:59 PM
#9
At this point (and I would like to add how truly happy I am that things are progressing well for you!!!) I would like to suggest, just from a negotiation standpoint (that is, after all, what I do for a living) that you stop offering to pay him any more than what you've already paid. The reason he is fidgety is that he knows his a$$ is grass, and Jason from the body shop will only back that up. The fact that he has no written estimate for you to have agreed to, and the fact that you have gotten this far in court makes me think that you are in pretty good standings. However, the more you continue to offer him extra money, the more that sets a baseline for him to tell the court what you offered, and have them force you to meet him halfway. From here on in, particularly in any taped or witnessed conversations, I would continue to offer exactly what he quoted...this way when he says $1350 to the court, and you say $0, you'll be much more likely to end up at the $675 you might be OK with paying, as opposed to having the court look at the baselines of 675 and 1350 and say..."meet in the middle" which puts you into the 900ish range if my math doesn't suck on a Saturday afternoon.
09-06-2003, 09:00 PM
#10
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i am a half assed expert on valuations and negotiations regarding valuations. i agree with Jason.
also, preface your offer next time with something to the effect of
"i am making this offer as an alternative to going to court, and to get my vehicle back immediately. each day without my vehicle is an inconvenience, and my offer will be reduced each day. if i have posession of my vehicle by midnight, and there is no retaliation i will not go to the epa, fbi, cia (or doris day for the old beatles fans)"
then reduce the offer $50 for each day he doesnt take it. after two days he may see court is his only avenue, and nobody knows the flaws in their case better than the person involved.
also, preface your offer next time with something to the effect of
"i am making this offer as an alternative to going to court, and to get my vehicle back immediately. each day without my vehicle is an inconvenience, and my offer will be reduced each day. if i have posession of my vehicle by midnight, and there is no retaliation i will not go to the epa, fbi, cia (or doris day for the old beatles fans)"
then reduce the offer $50 for each day he doesnt take it. after two days he may see court is his only avenue, and nobody knows the flaws in their case better than the person involved.
09-06-2003, 10:06 PM
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Yeah, my offer went back to $600 as of yesterday. When court comes my offer will $100 to make the even $2000 he quoted me. When he wants to negotiate again, I'll probably tell him no, and let him wonder why I do not want to negotiate again. The painter and I know a lot of the same people so I met let it leak (misinformation) that I do not want to negotiate because I have found a way to keep all of my money and get my car. People will ask how, and I'll tell him I can't let it out, I was told to keep my mouth shut about it. People can't keep their mouths shut, and it'll leak back to him. Yeah, stupid mindgames, but that's all there is until court.
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
