I have a legal question and if this is the wrong section to post it, I apologize and please move to proper place. The question I have is: Am I legally obligated to pay the body shop for work being done to my car?
This is the story.... I dented my car awhile back. I took it to a body shop I used in the past. The damage wasn't too much over my deductible so I decided to just pay for all off it myself and not involve insurance company. Well I set up appt with shop for April 9th. Got there that day and owner said he was swamped and couldn't get to the car til later in the week. I offered to just come back on April 16th if that would be better for him. He said it would be great if I would do that. So I just came back on 16th. He said he needed for the week (be done Friday night or Saturday morning). Today is currently the 34th straight day he's had it. he has offered several excuses as to why its not done and was always told "another day or two". I always said "you don't need to explain anything to me, you know your job way better than I do." I never acted like it was a problem because this was a cash transaction and i knew customer service for these types of deals aren't gonna be excellent. But the final price would be better. He always stated my car would be covered and cared for. I stopped by a couple of weeks go to get my garage door opener out of car. My car was not covered, dust and dirt was all over my floor and drivers seat and they had a filthy sponge laying on deck lid, oozing something all over it. I didnt say much except "I guarantee the car will be spotless when its done."
I asked a few times for an estimate for doing the work (fix the dent, repaint both bumpers, hood and side skirts). (I drive a lot on interstate so the rock chips are killing my paint). He has always said "he hasn't gotten a chance to put numbers together and he'd call me back later that day with some figures, but he'd do me right." This has never happened. So I was told last Monday May 7th, the car would be finished by Thursday and he failed to meet that deadline again. I never set any of these deadlines, never did I demand to be his number one priority. I called on Monday of this week, cause I never heard from him last week telling me it was finished. I called his cell and business phone. He wouldn't answer ither so I left a message stating " Tom, its been a month to do a five day job. Just bolt my car back together. Ill be there tomorrow morning after work around 9:30." He never called back but, he sent me a text... "Slow down, I'm painting it now. It'll be done in a day or two." I replied "ill wait a couple more days." So now its Friday and no car. I do plan on paying him something but legally do I have to pay what he's asking? I thought I'd give him half of it. I never got an estimate or signed a work order. I do feel money is owed but something must be deducted for not making my car somewhat of a priority when it was agreed it would be a 5 day process and it has taken (if done today) 7 times longer than he claimed it would take.
Sorry for it being this long and if you made it this far, thank you in advance. I want to do the right thing as far as paying my debt but what is really acceptable on both sides?
This is the story.... I dented my car awhile back. I took it to a body shop I used in the past. The damage wasn't too much over my deductible so I decided to just pay for all off it myself and not involve insurance company. Well I set up appt with shop for April 9th. Got there that day and owner said he was swamped and couldn't get to the car til later in the week. I offered to just come back on April 16th if that would be better for him. He said it would be great if I would do that. So I just came back on 16th. He said he needed for the week (be done Friday night or Saturday morning). Today is currently the 34th straight day he's had it. he has offered several excuses as to why its not done and was always told "another day or two". I always said "you don't need to explain anything to me, you know your job way better than I do." I never acted like it was a problem because this was a cash transaction and i knew customer service for these types of deals aren't gonna be excellent. But the final price would be better. He always stated my car would be covered and cared for. I stopped by a couple of weeks go to get my garage door opener out of car. My car was not covered, dust and dirt was all over my floor and drivers seat and they had a filthy sponge laying on deck lid, oozing something all over it. I didnt say much except "I guarantee the car will be spotless when its done."
I asked a few times for an estimate for doing the work (fix the dent, repaint both bumpers, hood and side skirts). (I drive a lot on interstate so the rock chips are killing my paint). He has always said "he hasn't gotten a chance to put numbers together and he'd call me back later that day with some figures, but he'd do me right." This has never happened. So I was told last Monday May 7th, the car would be finished by Thursday and he failed to meet that deadline again. I never set any of these deadlines, never did I demand to be his number one priority. I called on Monday of this week, cause I never heard from him last week telling me it was finished. I called his cell and business phone. He wouldn't answer ither so I left a message stating " Tom, its been a month to do a five day job. Just bolt my car back together. Ill be there tomorrow morning after work around 9:30." He never called back but, he sent me a text... "Slow down, I'm painting it now. It'll be done in a day or two." I replied "ill wait a couple more days." So now its Friday and no car. I do plan on paying him something but legally do I have to pay what he's asking? I thought I'd give him half of it. I never got an estimate or signed a work order. I do feel money is owed but something must be deducted for not making my car somewhat of a priority when it was agreed it would be a 5 day process and it has taken (if done today) 7 times longer than he claimed it would take.
Sorry for it being this long and if you made it this far, thank you in advance. I want to do the right thing as far as paying my debt but what is really acceptable on both sides?
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