I have an old Blazer that I’ve put more money in than I’ve paid for it. I’m over it at this point and I owe another $1400 in repairs. If I choose not to pick the truck up and block the shop’s number, what will realistically happen? Not trying to be edgy.
They will eventually get a mechanics lein on the vehicle and once they have a title they will do whatever they want with it because it’s their now. Often just means selling it to their scrap guy.
You might make your life easier if you talk it out with the shop first. Like mechanic’s liens are a thing, but they can be a slow process.
Also though, never mind what you paid for it. What’s the current value of the Blazer? Is it more than $1400?
I would call the shop and let them know you are no longer invested in the vehicle and offer to sign over the title in lieu of payment. This will save them the trouble of placing a lien on the title and possibly suing you.
Your other, more responsible option is to pay the man and sell it yourself. That will save you the trouble of having a lien on your credit report and getting sued for what they couldn’t recoup from the sale of your car to the scrap yard for the price of scrap metal.
Small claims court more than likely.
Tell them the truth. You’ll probably have to sign over the title of they’re even willing to take the car off you. Otherwise pay what you owe because that’s the right thing to do.
They get a mechanics lein and sell it. Probably to themselves.
Don’t do it… the shop will get their money somehow
Don’t be that guy. Talk about your options with the shop. They deserve fair pay for fair work, regardless of whether the vehicle wasn’t worth the money. That’s on you, not them. Would you like it if they had you do work and instead of paying stuck you with an item worth less than the work you did?
My question is have they already done the work and you don’t want to pay? Or do they say the work needs to be done? Two different situations.
If the work has already been done be prepared to be sued in small claims court. The shop can also file a mechanic’s lien and take ownership of the vehicle and sell it to reclaim some of their costs. Don’t expect anything they sell the vehicle for to come off what you owe though because it will be racking up storage fees while they go through the process. I know you said you aren’t trying to be edgy, but just to be clear if this first situation is the case then you are a severe dick.
If it is just at the point where they have given you an estimate and that is more than you want to pay then call the shop and talk to them. Sign the title over to them and maybe you can walk away from it.
Yes, the work is done. I was supposed to pick it up yesterday but had an issue with Uber. That’s when all of this hit me.
I know you aren’t on a Mechanic Advice page asking how to screw over a mechanic- but that is how you screw over a mechanic.
Depending on your jurisdiction, mechanic liens can be a huge pain in the ass. Your shop is in the business of fixing cars not filing liens, serving documents, dealing with dmv and selling lemons.
Be an adult, deal with your problem and don’t be a shit.
My 2c.
don’t be a jerk, sign the title over to them
I like Blazers. What year ? What needs done? Close to va? Pay your bill and do not stick it to the shop.
I’m in Illinois. 2003. Nothing needs to be done to it now. I’ve fixed everything that’s been plaguing it (unless the random misfire returns). Compression tests have been done with nothing found.
The worst case scenario is they take you to court, the brazer gets sold which might not cover what you owe because the 1400 will have gotten much greater when the lawyers add on their fees along with storage fees… You could easily end up owing more than double the 1400 when you get a judgement against you… Now from that they can garnish your paycheck and you end up paying much more than you owe right now… So don’t be stupid, deal with them and see if you can work something out. Working out a bad situation is much better than ignoring it and letting the other side take you to court because that will result in you getting a much worse deal than you can ever imagine.
AIAH ……? Yes
That’s a good way to end up in small claims court. Instead of abandoning the vehicle just talk to them. Chances are you’ll be able sign over the title and call it good then they’ll sell it to recoup what they can on the bill. Small claims court and mechanic liens are a lot of trouble they won’t wanna go down that road either. It’s not at all uncommon it happens all the time