Is it legal for a mechanic to hold a vehicle until labor is paid in full?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Is it legal for a mechanic to hold a vehicle until labor is paid in full?
We paid for the transmission (almost $900), and are having troubleComing up with and additional $840 for labor, which is more than Double what he quoted us. He has held our car for over a month now.We are far away from anyone we know and this is our only car. HeRefuses to work with us.
Asked on December 8, 2014 under Business Law, Michigan
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
You need to contact your local prosecutor (city or county) or if you live in a state with an attorney general, the state attorney general and file a complaint. Check your paperwork on what was quoted. This appears to be common theft and could be grand larceny depending on the car's worth. If your mechanic refuses to work with you, it appears the fee is simply padding and may be fraudulent. If the local prosecution or police won't help you, immediately hire an attorney to contact this person.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.