Lawyer

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Kodiac

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I need a good lawyer - a real pitbull, highly aggressive attack dog lawyer.
This is a general forum - So I guess I can VENT here.
Had my Honda Accord towed into a shop for repairs. Verbal contract on X amount of dollars. The snot now charged XxZ dollars to the point of almost double the agreed price. Now he is not only holding the car and refusing to give it back for even the X plus 15%. Now he is going and putting a Lien on my car. I can not find a lawyer in VA that will take this case!
Aargh! I want the Aaron Burr solution.
How can I get a Blazer rifle if I dont have a car to sell?
frown.gif
 
No, it was over the phone... first to my wife who wrote down all the info - then to me, where I made a verbal agreement with him.

Word against word I guess.
 
I am sorry about your situation. There are many crooked people around. That is why you always get things in writing. Gone are the days of a gentleman and his word. Most state statutes give mechanics a statutory lien on the vehicle. He can sell it to get his money. Don't blame the lawyers...just learn from the experience and get everything in writing.
 
I am not blaming lawyers... I want to find one that will help me sue these jerks!

I'm not stressing out about this... if the really want my 84 rusty honda - thats one thing - In Virginia a verbal contract is a contract. The LAW says he can't charge me more than what the estimated and agreed upon cost of the repair would be. And he is just trampling the law underfoot because he can... he knows no one can sue him because no body cares... this is small claims stuff, and the expense and time etc for a small claims is not worth it. This guy is using extortion on people who can't afford to fight it. Well, I can afford it - but not the time away from work... it is not worth it to go it alone. If I had an attorney, that would be different. I would be able to persue this matter legally and win. This guy is pathological... he lies and cheats EVERY ONE i have talked to about them. I dont see how he is even still in business.

If this situation could be handled properly - this guy would be out of business. But it cant be dealt with properly because DMV, State Police, County Courts, VA BAR Association, Commonwealths Attorney simply dont care to look into this matter.
It is injustice...
Thats what makes me mad.
He can have the car - just found out it has a bad transmission - I only paid a grand for it... Its a junk pile now. But the injustice of this... That this guy is getting away with extortion - That is what makes me mad.
 
Try reporting him to the local Better Business Bureau, and get their advice on where else to complain. There should be a local Consumer Advocate branch of the city or county government that can assist you. Additionally, if you want to take the gloves off, file a formal complaint with the retail licensing commission. That'll get his attention if anything will. Do a cc: to him of all your complaints, especially to the governmental activities. Take out a personal ad in the local paper that reflects your experiences with his shop (careful of words used so as not to become liable for slander). If you really feel disgruntled about it, there are many ways in which you can become a festering pustule on his shaft of life..
 
The BBB has already sent me an OFFICIAL "We aint going to do Nothin" letter that arrived the day after I filed a complaint and inquired as to options.

However... I have just learned I have an option through COUNTY code... I can file a claim of some sort (an attorney called my wife an hour ago and told her about it - I dont have the details). We will file our claim and we will have our day in court. And it is possible we may even see this SOB face criminal charges. So things are looking up now - legally.

I will still hope to use 4V50's suggestion on the best use of a throwing knife on this guy.
Why did we outlaw duelling anyways? It was such a gentlemanly way of settling disputes.
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When I played in a paintball tournement in Vegas a couple years ago... we used duelling as a trial to settle disputes on the field.
Paintball might not seem so final - but a Marbelizer shot in the nads pretty much ended the arguement.
 
If I'm not mistaken in Va. he has to have a signed mechanics lien, and he can only go 10% above the estimate.I think I would try to fight it plus sue him for lawyer fees, time off from work ect. Good luck.
 
Hey Kodiak, Ttry calling your local TV stations and see if they have a consumer investigations reporter. They just might put the whole thing on TV and embarress the guy,plus the whole county will know what acrook he is. ;)
 
As a lawyer, I can tell you the remedy for your problem:

First, the aggressiveness of your lawyer will depend on the size of the retainer fee he receives more than the choice of which lawyer. Just stating a fact. But, to help with your problem.....

If VA is like OK, then the prevailing party in a contract action wins his ATTORNEY'S FEES as a matter of right. So, since the contract was valid as you say, it's enforceable. So far, so good. Now, you will win at a trial if it comes down to your word against his, AND IF the judge thinks he's lying and not you. Cases are won like this all the time in small claims court. Either sue him yourself in small claims and tell your story to the judge, and let the judge decide... OR, hire a lawyer by paying him up front, and then if you win as you should the judge will also award your attys fees (at least in my state). Of course, you may not get paid right away, but at least you'll get your car back for X, and a judgment for $. Good luck. Make the system work for you.
 
If the legal route doesn't work:

Every chance you get, go to this a#$holes business and tell all potential customers walking in what he did to you. If he asks you to leave, do it on the sidewalk in front of his business, which is not his property, so he can't accuse you of trespassing.

If VA doesn't allow for customers to be in the work areas for safety reasons, take pictures of any incidents where customers are in those areas and send it to his insurance company and the local regulatory agencies.

Basically be a real pain in the a#$ to this guy. One should always try to be a reasonable person, but when civility fails, then being a real jerk may be the answer. Maybe that's why my friends call me the biggest a@#hole in L.A.

Good luck!
 
This situation has ended in a manner I am satisfied with...
It is over, and I feel I have come out ahead. And the Jerk at the Garage short end of the stick.
Hey Rich... Go ahead and Lock This puppy down. No use kicking a dead Honda!
 
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