Garage who didn't do any work on vehicle, wanting to charge £25 per day storage fee.

[BobBobson689]

The engine in my girlfriend's van recently blew up. The mechanic who she called to come out and recover the vehicle, took a look at the damage and informed her that she would need a new engine. He also informed her that he wouldn't be able to do the work, so had given it to the 'garage A around the corner'.

 

Quite a bit of time passed by as my girlfriend deliberated upon what course of action she was going to take. When she finally decided to get a new engine, she started to attempt to make enquiries, with garage A, to which her van had been given.

 

Not knowing much about anything, she required a bit of information from garage A, and contacted them several times, but she was poorly received, ignored, and requests for information were not responded to. Hearing all this, I told her to get her van repaired somewhere else. Thus she made new arrangements with a more customer friendly garage.

 

All had been arranged, or so she thought, but when the new garage B (who she had arranged to do the work after the poor customer service from the original garage A) arrived to collect her van, garage A refused to hand over the keys to the van. Although garage A hadn't done any work on the vehicle, garage A has turned around and said that they wanted £25 per day as storage fee.

 

Whilst I know that in the absence of any written or verbal contract, whereby girlfriend consented to paying a daily storage fee, garage A doesn't have a leg to stand on, I am wondering how much of a pain in the arse dealing with this issue might be.

 

Is this a matter for the police, whereby they simply turn up whilst my girlfriend lawfully retreives her vehicle, or is might this be a real dragged out civil matter.....civil coursts, Sheriff's Officers, etc?

[liverpoolluke]

a garage is allowed to keep your vehicle pending a payment, however you must have a contract with the garage, you must know there term's either verbally or in writting

 

at any point did you (your girlfriend) agree to have your van taken to garage A ? at any point did you give garage A any instructions at all ? have you asked them to store the van while you consider your options ?

 

its going to be harder to prove everything without paper trial, the biggest loos on your behalf is they have the van and the key, you have willing given them to Mr Recovery he is the person you have any contract with unless you gave garage A any instructions?

[BobBobson689]

Nope. At no point did my girlfriend have a contract with Garage A.

 

She phoned a mechanic, who we have used for years. However, since this mechanics old man died, he has been working on his own, and couldn't do the job required. It was this mechanic who passed my girlfriends van on to garage A, without first asking, or explaining anything to my girlfriend.

 

My girlfriend recorded a phone call with garage A, where the guy informed her "well, that is just how it is", and then hung up, and then recorded an 8 minute call with the mechanic who she originally phoned. In this latter phone call, amongst lots of 'uh, I don't knows', he basically admitted that the contract was him, but because he couldnt take the job, he said to garage A, do you just want to take this, without seeking approval/permission from my girlfriend.

 

Hard to find any information on this specific case, but I am hoping that since garage A is witholding my girlfriends property from her, when she didn't even give them permission to have jit in the first place, that this is a matter that can be dealt with quickly by the police, other than by civil process, which takes ages, and ages.

[liverpoolluke]

I may maybe wrong but the way I see it is your contract was with Mr Recovery man, he should of kept hold of your vehicle unless you have permission to pass to garage A

 

I would think legally you would pursue Mr Recovery for you losses