I would have called the insurance company that cut the check. They would have dealt with him. At least it would save you paying for a lawyer.

 

Woooow....

 

Take pics with your phone (it will auto stamp the time/date/coordinates it was taken) or go old school and include todays paper in the pics. Provide them and any additional info to your insurance, her insurance, and the Better Business Bureau. Also ask them for the correct way to have your car removed from the shop so you don't screw yourself over, do you really want them to fix it now?

 

You're ****ing dumb.



In case that isn't self-explanatory: the only reason you should be visiting that shop is to either take your car or with your lawyer. Not that I'm hoping this will turn out where you get the short end of the stick, but I won't feel sorry for you if it does turn out that way.

 

Hey Demon, go jump off a cliff or go off yourself, no one cares about your opinion.

Anyways, I got the results. Ordered the parts over night and everything is good to go. I was there when he ordered the parts (on speakerphone). TADA, no lawyer needed =)

 

see below

 

Get every bit of documentation you can, including pictures and evidence he never ordered parts. Write a factual chronology of what happened. Include the insurance appraisal, ask the insurance company for a copy of the cancelled check, get a written estimate from another body shop, etc. Get witnesses, the girl that got your anntenae, maybe an employee etc. Show up with a tow truck, take you car back, and file a claim in small claims court for the $7000. I think anything less than $7500 can be done in small claims court for less than a $100 filing fee, you don't need a lawyer, and you can ask for the court fee back as part of the settlement. They clerk at the court will give you a small claims form and its pretty easy. If the body shop owner doesn't show, you automatically win. If he does show, he won't have much of a defense and you will probably win a judgement against him. Of course, he could ignore the judgement and you may have trouble collecting the judgement and may have to put a lien on his property. Lawyer or not, he could do that or just go bankrupt on you.

Also, call your insurance company's fraud line and report him. If you get a small claims court judgement against him, it will be easy for the insurance company to nail him for insurance fraud in another legal proceeding. That would be even a bigger problem for him.

If you threaten him with all this, he may cave in and just fix the car...but at this point, do you want him fixing your car after you **** him off? Three months from now the paint peels and things fall off the car and you go back to him and the doors are locked and he has left town.

Get your car out first and go from there. Hopefully you get enough money back to take it to a reputable shop.

 

I believe $5,000 small claims in Colorado state