Car repair gone wrong.

[unmog]

I paid someone to fix my car, which should have only taken a week tops. Instead it took several months. After he took the car to fix it I was told that something else had broke and he'd need more money to fix it, so we paid again. He informed me though the original problem, being the broken horn, that he couldnt fix it. I told him fine, but it was taking too long and to just bring it back. More months go by, with me repeatedly telling them to bring the car back. I had to threaten to report it to the police as a stolen vehicle, but when I finally get the car back I was told while it was there someone cut the gasline. The car is actually in worse condition now than when it was before I paid them to fix it! It's absurd, I call them asking if I can get the money I paid to fix the horn reimbursed, or, at the very least if I could get 20 dollars for the cost to replace the gasline... a very minor concession, he declines. I fear the only thing I can do at this point is to take him to small claims court, not only to damages done while in his possession but also to get back the money paid for the horn. I'm hoping to get some advice about this, is there's anything I can do or if I should just let it go? I probably should have taken it to a professional mechanic from the start, but surely I have some rights in this matter, no? I've never had to take someone to court before...

 

[army judge]

You guessed it, small claims.
But, all that'll get you is a judgment, no money.
You then have to try and collect the judgment.
Fewer than 10% of judgment holders ever collect a dollar.
Plus, you'll also be out the small claims filing and service costs.
Maybe Judge Judy, People's Court, Judge Maths might call you.
You go those shows, you get MOBEY, a free trip, airfare, hotel, and pocket money, plus you split a pool of money(often $1,000 to your state's small claims max)!

 

[unmog]

Fewer than 10%? Why would anyone do it then? Is there nothing better I can do? I figure the court would take it out of their wages or end of the year taxes or something if they had to, they dont do anything to help you get back whats owed? Its just if they feel like paying it back or not? Does it hurt their credit or anything if they dont? Are you basically telling me to just suck up the loss? That sucks~

 

[army judge]

Fewer than 10%? Why would anyone do it then? Is there nothing better I can do? I figure the court would take it out of their wages or end of the year taxes or something if they had to, they dont do anything to help you get back whats owed? Its just if they feel like paying it back or not? Does it hurt their credit or anything if they dont? Are you basically telling me to just suck up the loss? That sucks~

I'm simply telling you what the facts are.
You must decide what course works for you.
No, the court gives you a pretty HE OWES YOU, and it's your problem to collect it.
The court got paid, so why should it care?
The dirty little secret is, it doesn't, unless the money is owed to government!

 

[unmog]

So how does one normally go about collecting it then? I thought taking someone to court meant they helped you collect it somehow. I suppose if its up to me to collect it on my own then I can see why so many people resort to baseball bats :/

 

[disagreeable]

Don't waste your time suing him. Be glad you successfully performed a car rescue and send it to a qualified mechanic, The idiot could have ejected your air bag and then you would have been screwed,

 

[Betty3]

It's your decision but probably not worth suing in your case & there is the problem of collecting the money if you do win.