29scarab

In my previous post had issues getting the marine mechanic to call me back to get my engine and parts.

This mess started last year in june. I know the engine builder had the engine for a while.

No call back on thursday,friday, or saturday trying to get in contact with the mechanic. I was calling to be reassured he was going to hold up on his end of the deal on having my engine and parts back on the following week so I could have my things back to work on them 4th of july weekend. I called him this morning and still no call back.

I called my wife fed up with everything. So it was decided to make a call to the police in his area. The officer informed me it could be a case of theft if he doesn't return call or produce my engine parts. The officer took some information and made a call to the marine mechanic. Of course the marine mechanic doesnt answer. I call the engine builder again and get him to call him. He ANSWERS the engine builder and he is informed the police were fixing to get involved.


The marine mechanic calls me and starts raising hell about why I called the cops. I told him why. I told him all he had to do was take a minute out of so busy schedule with his other customers to call and let em know we were still meeting this week considering it had been almost 3 weeks since I had talked with him. He informed me he had a LIFE and didn't have time to sit by the phone and return phone calls. I said " considering we pay your bills you could have least called back".

He also went on to tell me that he had to pay his helper last year to take the engine out and I had not paid him a dime. I told him number one,,,the job was not finished,,,and number 2 you didn't ask for any money.

He told me instead of the 500 bucks I was to pay him, he wanted the full amount of 625 bucks for getting the police involved. He tried saying he didn't charge me for doing this or for doing that, but seeing how I called the police he wanted it all.

Now....he did howevere cut the battery cable in my boat and also cut an engine mount and I will have to pay to repair those items, not including having to inventory every bolt and nut to make sure I'm getting all my things back. The mairne mechanic told me he was going to work for someone else so he wouldn't have to put up with crap from customers. He obviuosly can't make it on his own.

So,,,this mechanic wants cash in full or said I wouldn't be getting my things back,,

SO,,,how would you go about handling this situation???

eliminatethis

in my state fl. thereis no mech. leen as to were he keeps your stuff if the ser # tag is still on the eng i would take my paper work showing proof of ownership to the police they would have to go with me and make him give me all my stuff it is then on the shops shoulders to sue me for his just payment i would then post a payment to the receicted amount and the judge would decide who gets what but at least you would get your eng. back as a shop owner i would never let it get that far i always look at the big picture

t500hps

Leave a message that in 24 hours you will be reporting the engine as stolen as per your attorney's recommendations unless he agrees to a mutual figure. (BS, I know but he doesn't) Call the cops, tell them he has increased the "price" since the cops were called and you would like to report the engine as stolen since he won't be returning it. Didn't I read that he has had the engine a year? or was that someone else's mechanic nightmare?
Either way you've been TOO nice.

RedDog382

A few years ago, I had the same kind of experience with a local self-proclaimed "expert marine high-performance engine builder". Ultimately, it cost me $10,000 in parts, a year without a running boat, $5000 in legal bills over a five year period after he sued me, and multiple discussions with investigators after he reported me for "stealing" my own parts back.

When he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with the "theft" charge, he then also threatened to sue me for malpractice. When he had my engines, I had dropped off sample antibiotics for his wife who had a cold. A year later, she had a breast mass removed and he threatened to sue me for failing to properly diagnose and treat her breast cancer.

This guy was a real wack job, and your "mechanic" sounds like they are related. Get the police involved and go get your parts back. Walk away from this guy now, whatever it costs!

29scarab

He had the boat for a couple of weeks to get the engine out and then it was sent to the engine builder who had it for about 9 months. The engine builder did a great job, I just thought it took a little longer than it should.

But when it was ready in the bottom of march or first of april, the marine mechanic was notified at that time. The marine mechanic was busy and he said it would be at least 3 weeks before he could get to it. This puts us at the bottom of April. I started calling and it took me almost a month after the 3 weeks was up to get a hold of the marine mechanic. It took the engine builder calling him and me telling him to box up my parts to get him to call me back finally.

At that time he let me know he had no excuses for not calling me back or for taking so long. He informed me his shop got bought out and he was working out fo his house. He said he understood me wanting my stuff back. NOW.....I have this mess to deal with because I called the police and him wanting more money.

I'm suppose to meet him at his new place of employment to get my stuff back and for him to get hisd money.


I'm just sick of the whole mess!!

waterbum

Pay him the $500 for removing the engines. Put the rest of what he wants into a holding account. Have him sign a release that says if there are no missing parts, you will release the $125. For every part that is missing, you will purchase it and provide a copy of the receipt showing why the entire $125 will not be paid. Whatever is left of the $125 in a month, he can have.

The other option is just to pay the extra $125 and move on. It will be one of the cheaper bills you get while enjoying the pleasure of boat ownership. You can also make sure all of your buddies know about this guy's business habits and see if you can't free up his time by making sure fewer people consider using his services.

Good luck.

KAAMA

iTrader: (1)

Like I said before Shawn, it's only going to get worse as time goes on. It will never end until you either go settle the bill with him and rescue your stuff, or he goes out of business and files bankruptcy, and he and your stuff comes up missing and you get/end up with nothing---ZERO!

Work out the bill with him when you get there---just go and get your stuff!

GOODT

pay the 625 get your stuff then sue the hell out of him including time lost ect.....

29scarab

KAAMA,

Meeting him at his new place of employment. Seems he found someone to hire him since he couldn't make it on his own. That kind of customer service go figure.

Of course he was an A-hole about things even though he brought it on himself for not taking care of his customers. The thing I'm worried about is no getting all my parts and pieces back and having to spend more money on the stuff he owes me. I'm making a list of everything right now for doing inventory when I get to his shop. I'll be having my wife check the items off as I inventory them.

I have been overly nice and therfore somehow gotten taken advanatge of. When we were arguing he told me he had done 10 engine jobs,,,,,,but somehow doesn't have time to do mine from a year ago!!

Whatever

He gets everything he deserves from the way I look at it.

29scarab

That will be the enxt step depending on what happens when I get my property from him. I'm sure he is gonna want every penny in his hot lil' hand before he starts loading my things on the trailer, but somehow that just doens't seem right until I inventory everything to make sure he has not short changed me.