Yep. Pretty clear to me too.

Up front you did a pretty good job of laying things out -- budget, expectations, monthly invoices. You were already ahead of how most people engage a shop and start things out.

Your crucial mistake was nothing in writing... it does not have to be some uncomfortable legal document that no one wants to sign. A punchlist, an email listing the goals in some amount of detail, something referring to the hourly rate... to be helpful (later) it can still be very casual and non-confrontational.

Where I think you really went wrong was what I bolded and underlined above..... you should have stopped right there and said - politely of course - NO I did not have a conversation with your newly hired shop manager --- I had this conversation about budget and expectations with YOU.... the OWNER!

When you need to get things accomplished or remedied, you never go DOWN the food chain... you go UP it. And you were already at it. Sorry, but this is a bad sign in my eyes. It is fixable though.

I do not know who your last conversation was with --- it sounds like the new shop manager --- but the next one and everyone here on out needs to be with the owner.

Best of luck to you in this sh!tty deal. Many of us have been there in one way or another.

Laws
 

New laws have come out.

Tim-

The way I read that it pertains to a "REPAIR SHOP". I see you where asked about this previously, but haven't seen you're response. Is it a "REPAIR SHOP"? If not what kind of shop is it?

What sources are you using for information on the laws that pertain to this state and situation?

Look man... you got suckered in by some D-Bag who was all smiles, saying nice things, laughing with you in his office, which is probably covered with pictures of rainbows, kittens and unicorns. Yeah, you're at fault for not doing your home work before hand and covering all the bases with signed agreements. It's a messed up world in a lot of ways these days. Sadly we have to protect ourselves in ways that we haven't had to use as much in the past. Ways that seem silly and are kind of foreign to us.

Right now you really need to be focused on "RECOVERY". You trusted this guy to honor his word. He claims to have no memory of that conversation or agreement. TIM!!! Wake up...that's your sign!!! He's done this before and knows the different avenues people will take and what will happen. Right now HE HAS YOUR CAR!!! That empowers him and weakens you. You want your car back and he knows it. He's basically holding it hostage. Thinking he isn't already two steps ahead of you is a mistake. This sounds like the kind of guy who suddenly wants to charge you months of storage fee's in addition to the inflated, because you suddenly don't agree.

Tim...the number one thing I would be looking at is how to recover your car ASAP. You say that there is nothing in writing. If that's true, then you need to be looking into the laws that cover you picking up your car without paying for the work. You can always haggle that out later. TAKE AWAY THE HOLD HE HAS OVER YOU!!!!! How well do you think he is going to take care of your car while you two battle it out in court? Will you then have to have a second legal battle over damages done to the car while it sat in his shop? I'm not saying pay the man right now. NO!:twak: I'm saying get your car if you can and then argue the bill. If you hold all the cards...things will change. Suddenly he remember the "deal", apologizes for the trouble while hold up a picture of cute puppy or something, all in the hopes you will pay him the amount you two originally agreed on.

I don't mean to be a jerk to you Tim. I just really hate this kind of crap. It pains me to see this kind of crap over and over. I've had a year of losses and learned just how down right filthy people you think are good, honorable and trust worthy can be. People you where close to. Protect your self, your family and your money.

I was trying to stay out of this post. But I feel you may partially be at blame
here.

You said you dropped the car off and went over your punch list.

You said you wanted photos.

You said you wanted monthly invoices.

None of which happened which seems strange to me. Okay, so my next question did
at anytime over the months that the car was at the shop did you ever visit the
car to check progress, speak to the owner and even ask for progress update and
of course an invoice.

Some people seem to trust people blindly which it seems like you did. So far
I've built 3 project car one with an unlimited budget and there was constant
communication between myself, the fab shop, body shop, interior shop and the
Final builder.

Seems to that you should have stopped by the shop to see the progress and that
way you would have known exactly where you were on the bill.

Marty,

Thank you for responding, I asked for photos and was told that they were going to get them to me. When I asked about invoices I was told that there was not that much work done to create one and that they would get them to me and when we tried to set up a time for me to come and see the car he was tied up with racing or something else. I really did not have a concrete deadline but wanted it before the winter. I had multiple phone conversations with them about, seats, shifter color and console layout and measurements. Right now I am not happy that I did not push hard enough to set up a date to meet at the shop. And yes I did trust him I had no reason not to. But he also admitted that there was some changes within his shop that led to a lot of miscommunication between him and his shop manager.
And call me a little crazy but not sure if I was a shop I would be spending to many labor hours if there was no money coming in on the build. I personally think things got out of hand from the other shop manager and now they need to fix it, that is why 6 months later I finally got invoices and pictures...was he being told by the other shop manager that these were sent out? I do not know but someone dropped the ball.

Curtis comes from experience on this, listen to him...carefully. Get your car and go from there, or you might not ever see it again this side of the legal process.

Thanks Jim I am taking in everyone's response especially Curtis seriously, I have read his story and it scares me.

because no one else will.

good luck Tim.

Since im usually last in line to work on a car(interior), I have heard a lot of these stories from customers thru the years (23 now). some work out others dont. Todd has some good advice veags69, The guy sounds like a BS artist to me, Get it out of there as soon as you can

Operation Recovery
 

I am working on it Tracy, I am trying to make plans to get it. And all of the parts that I dropped off to him.