Mechanic Set Fire to my Car

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  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    treboeth wrote: »
    Iss obveeusss init Op`s name is Julie bunny :)


    https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=men+called+julie&oq=men+called+julie&aqs=chrome..69i57.6364j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

    And I'm obviously an automobile.;)
  • missile
    missile Posts: 11,689 Forumite
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    Car_54 wrote: »
    We've established that it was worth only its scrap value. Say £100. Is that worth going to court for?

    Even if the OP gets judgement, it doesn't mean he'll get the money.

    It is worth £200 .... That may be small change to you :eek:

    He (or she :rotfl:) has a business and his welding gear will be worth more than £200. Can't pay, we'll take it away :T
    "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
    Ride hard or stay home :iloveyou:
  • juliebunny
    juliebunny Posts: 1,705 Forumite
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    edited 15 May 2018 at 9:37AM
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    jlemaitre wrote: »

    Judging by your post the Fiesta isn't anything special, I'm sure the only sporting Fiesta round that year was the Zetec-S so its not any XR-RS that'll be worth thousands of pounds.


    Special only to me unfortunately as I got her with only 6K miles on the clock 15 years ago.

    I've collected her from the garage now, I don't want anything to do with him any more. He was trying to 'help me' buy another car through someone he knows, but I'm just not interested any more - we were 'sort of' friends before this, he's been in hospital last year and we'd been keeping in touch, as I felt bad for him because he doesn't really have any family and only a few visitors - his customers are/were really his friends but he said lots of them didn't contact him any more. To be honest my gut feeling was niggling when I gave him the job as to whether he was up to it. Part of the issue is that due to him being old and not in great health, he was unable to get the car down from the ramp and get to the fire in good time, so it really took hold (this is his account, not mine.) He assured me he was up to the job, (and thought he had removed any flammable parts) albeit it would take him a week instead of 2 days. I was naive and stupid to give him the job. It was misguided loyalty and if I'm honest I felt sorry for him (yeah, get that!!!)

    I hope that anyone reading this will learn from my experiences, if nothing else comes out of this sorry tale.


    As Norman says, a proper apology would have gone a LONG way in this case.

    He certainly wasn't half way through the welding, in fact I don't even believe he had started it until the second week he had her but I'm going to get an opinion on this, because he had done a good chunk of it, it might make the difference between saving her and not. I haven't paid him a penny for that and neither has he asked.

    I have another Fiesta enthusiast coming to look at her this weekend, she is save-able, it's just at what cost. I've also had an offer from someone to buy her, so hopefully she is saved from the scrap heap either way, even if she goes off to be a donor car.


    Once I've had an opinion on her, I'm going to share this with my mechanic. He reckoned it was £1k worth of damage that he had done when he rang to tell me about it!! I feel like to need to have this out with him, irrespective of the financial aspect. I actually don't think he's fit to practice anymore, certainly he shouldn't be welding.

    It's hard to explain how attached I am to her, I guess that having done £125k miles in her, she's really like a home to me!

    And yes, I'm female (last time I looked!) (-:
    Less stuff, more life, love, laughter and cats!
    Even if I'm on the shopping threads, it doesn't mean I'm buying! Sometimes it's good to just look and then hit the CLOSE button!
  • juliebunny
    juliebunny Posts: 1,705 Forumite
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    Car_54 wrote: »
    And I'm obviously an automobile.;)


    He he are you for sale?!!
    Less stuff, more life, love, laughter and cats!
    Even if I'm on the shopping threads, it doesn't mean I'm buying! Sometimes it's good to just look and then hit the CLOSE button!
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    missile wrote: »
    It is worth £200 .... That may be small change to you :eek:

    No, it was valued at £220, but that would be as a runner. It's elderly, didn't have an MOT and needed welding, so it's clearly not worth book price.
  • missile
    missile Posts: 11,689 Forumite
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    edited 15 May 2018 at 1:52PM
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    Car_54 wrote: »
    No, it was valued at £220, but that would be as a runner. It's elderly, didn't have an MOT and needed welding, so it's clearly not worth book price.

    So YOU say :rotfl:

    It is clearly worth a lot more to OP.

    In her :p submission to the court OP can claim damages at whatever amount she :p feels is appropriate. The court will decide what is fair.
    "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
    Ride hard or stay home :iloveyou:
  • juliebunny
    juliebunny Posts: 1,705 Forumite
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    missile wrote: »
    So YOU say :rotfl:

    It is clearly worth a lot more to OP.

    In her :p submission to the court OP can claim damages at whatever amount she :p feels is appropriate. The court will decide what is fair.

    Yeah and if he doesn't turn up I get them by default!! Definitely not on the radar to take him to court, I'm going to get a quote for repairs and take it to him and tell him how pee'd off I am with him. That will be my closure on it unforunately.

    It's a small world where he works and where we live so it will soon get around what has happened and I can't imagine anyone else wanting to use him for welding...
    Less stuff, more life, love, laughter and cats!
    Even if I'm on the shopping threads, it doesn't mean I'm buying! Sometimes it's good to just look and then hit the CLOSE button!
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    missile wrote: »
    So YOU say :rotfl:

    It is clearly worth a lot more to OP.

    No, not me. It was the OP who said "... insurance company valued her at £220 in my last renewal (April). I guess that valuation assumed MOT. She was coming up for MOT and needed some work doing including welding which was going to cost £500."

    £220 doesn't sound unreasonable for a 17-y-o car.

    It may be worth a lot more to the OP, but that is totally irrelevant.
  • juliebunny
    juliebunny Posts: 1,705 Forumite
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    caprikid1 wrote: »
    Been there got the T-shirt, set a car alight myself. Sounds similar damage. As has been said cheaper to move on. If it needs welding its no minter. If you love it and want to keep it forever start to learn to tinker.


    This advice has actually inspired me, I'm looking into car maint courses for women. I never want to be so at the mercy of a mechanic again. Also found this as a bit of a starter https://haynes.com/en-gb/womens-car-diy-manual
    Less stuff, more life, love, laughter and cats!
    Even if I'm on the shopping threads, it doesn't mean I'm buying! Sometimes it's good to just look and then hit the CLOSE button!
  • missile
    missile Posts: 11,689 Forumite
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    juliebunny wrote: »
    This advice has actually inspired me, I'm looking into car maint courses for women. I never want to be so at the mercy of a mechanic again. Also found this as a bit of a starter https://haynes.com/en-gb/womens-car-diy-manual

    Good for you, go girl :beer:
    "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
    Ride hard or stay home :iloveyou:
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