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garage starting to charge for storage - is there a minimum notice period?

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  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    My car was there since just before Christmas. I was expecting it to be finished by February but work didn't even commence until end March/April.

    And when did the other person leave, and work stop?
    Until the problems arose I was a personal friend of the garage owner. His garage is a very laid back affair. The given quote was ambiguous but that's how he operates.

    Which you knew and accepted when the car went to him.
    Hence the request for an itemised invoice so I can check how quoted man hours tally up and see where I might have been charged for parts which I supplied to start with.

    You contracted the garage for work which you now don't want them to complete, and have had a request for payment for the work so far, which seems to be in line with what you certainly understood are the garage's usual terms of business.

    And you're refusing to pay that, until they produce more documentary evidence, to an arbitrary standard you are demanding, which you know to be way in excess of the way in which they normally work - and which you seem to be quite pleased they will have difficulty in producing.

    I'm not saying the way in which they appear to normally work is right in any way - nobody would say it was anything but lax. But you knew, understood and accepted that when you contracted the garage to do the work.
    EDIT: I am trying to pursue this amicably, professionally and legally (legally in the way I want paperwork etc. Don't want to go to the courts unless absolute necessary)

    An "itemised invoice" carries absolutely no legal weight here.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I can see exactly how a rare car being mentioned in this thread would lead to the identities being easily guessed by anybody with a little domain knowledge. And it really isn't relevant to the question being asked.
  • Herzlos
    Herzlos Posts: 15,854 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Agreed. It's only relevant in terms of transport - I don't understand how it can be so hard to get onto a loader.
    EDIT: I am trying to pursue this amicably, professionally and legally (legally in the way I want paperwork etc. Don't want to go to the courts unless absolute necessary)

    Then you should be looking to pay them as initially agreed (verbally, I assume) and try to maintain your friendship. Maybe go in person with the cash and ask for a breakdown of costs.

    Did you get any sort of discount for things being kept off-record?

    Your car has now been taking up one of their bays for 6 months
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Herzlos wrote: »
    Agreed. It's only relevant in terms of transport - I don't understand how it can be so hard to get onto a loader.

    It may well be larger/longer/wider/heavier than a normal Brian James-type trailer or 3.5t MAM transporter can cope with - but that really shouldn't be the end of the world with a little research.
    Did you get any sort of discount for things being kept off-record?

    We don't know that things are "off-record" in terms of VAT/corptax/income tax. All we know is that the garage's internal invoicing procedures are a bit ho-hum. So long as the total value of the invoice is properly logged in their accounts, however that may be done, that's all that's legally required. There is no legal requirement for any kind of itemisation on an invoice. It can quite legally say "Work done - £5,000", no more. If VAT isn't explicitly mentioned, then the figure is taken to be an inclusive price where required, but the customer cannot reclaim any VAT.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,835 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I'm sorry but I don't wish to say what sort of car it is as there's not many around and I don't wish to identify myself online.

    Too late!
    Iconic-Noddy-Car-For-Sale-300x279.jpg
  • NBLondon
    NBLondon Posts: 5,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Surely if the car was rare and special; you'd take it to a known specialist in that make, rather than a mate who you know to be laid-back? Presumably it's the engine guy you actually wanted to go with but he isn't independent (or wasn't then). Did you get a written contract that specified him (and agreed the bit about them keeping unused or surplus parts as part payment) or did you do a gentlemen's agreement in the pub?


    If it's the latter (as it seems to be) you need to address it the same way by showing willing to fairly compensate for what his been done. Can you tell by inspecting the engine for new parts/rebuilding?
    I need to think of something new here...
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    NBLondon wrote: »
    Surely if the car was rare and special; you'd take it to a known specialist in that make, rather than a mate who you know to be laid-back?
    They aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, y'know.
  • Thanks for your replies. And thank you to those who understand why I don't want to draw attention to the car. I'm not trying to act sly, just feel it's better for all concerned to keep a certain amount of anonymity.

    It is a wide car and does require somewhat of specialist transport. Plus as mentioned the engine is currently out.

    Yes the car was there before Christmas and I was expecting the work to be done by Feb. At the time the business owner was going through a relationship breakdown and neglected the business. The person I wanted to build the engine was prevented from working for 2 weeks when the boss decided to close the business at literally a moments notice (ie they'd receive a text on a Sunday night saying 'don't come in til next week, garage closed'). That happened on a number of occasions. As you can probably tell this is a business not run in an orthodox fashion but I knew it at the time. My engine builder left due to these peculiar conditions at the end of April and under un-amicable terms.

    I suspect that the garage owner knows I am out of the country next week hence they're making it awkward at the moment for me. Oh and also (and this sounds ashamedly petty) but I have been inundated with friend requests on FaceBook from friends of the garage owner this week which is a bit odd.

    Thanks,

    PH.
  • NBLondon wrote: »
    Surely if the car was rare and special; you'd take it to a known specialist in that make, rather than a mate who you know to be laid-back? Presumably it's the engine guy you actually wanted to go with but he isn't independent (or wasn't then). Did you get a written contract that specified him (and agreed the bit about them keeping unused or surplus parts as part payment) or did you do a gentlemen's agreement in the pub?


    If it's the latter (as it seems to be) you need to address it the same way by showing willing to fairly compensate for what his been done. Can you tell by inspecting the engine for new parts/rebuilding?

    Another reason I don't want to build attention to the car as the garage in question are known and renowned for this model and mark across the UK. Whilst Joe Public wouldn't have heard of them I can guarantee that anyone who knows the mark will.

    I want to pay for what's fair. Yes there's no contracts as we were a group of friends, more fool me. I don't have a problem paying for what's owed and have not said otherwise.

    PH.
  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper

    I am more than happy to pay for work done until now but my bill so far (no invoice, just a random number being demanded via FaceBook) is far higher than previous comparable jobs so I want to see a break down to make sure I'm not being overcharged out of spite. The garage have also been allowed to keep some parts from the car which was agreed to be part payment so I want to check if this has been deducted and if not assurances that the parts will be returned. Like I say, if I owe it, I'll pay it no problem and without issue.

    PH.
    Facebook?. Try phoning them.
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