The compensation amounted to approximately 22.52 million yen (151,000 dollars).
Penelope Horlick, a researcher at Oxford University in the UK, had her 1997 Porsche 911 left at a repair shop for 11 years without being returned.
It's amazing that we could wait 11 years.
The circumstances were as follows: Horlick had purchased a 993 Porsche 911 in 2008, but in 2010, while on his way to work, he hit a pothole in the road, damaging the underbody of the car and also leaking oil.
So he asked a shop called JJ Engineering to repair it, and the shop gave him a quote of $12,000 (about 1.79 million yen).
Repairs were supposed to begin from there, but the shop remained vague about the progress of the repairs, and they were dragged on for months...and then for years.
They even started insisting that the entire engine needed to be rebuilt and began charging storage fees without permission.
Despite Horlick's continued requests for the car to be returned, the shop promised to complete the repairs in 2012, but this never happened and the process continued to be postponed due to health issues faced by staff at the shop and a year spent in prison for assault.
No no, if the shop owner is going to serve a year in prison, shouldn't they make sure to get the car back before that?
Still, after waiting for so long, Horlick finally decided to take legal action in 2022. He filed a lawsuit seeking breach of contract and compensation for mental distress.
Then, in a trial in 2024, after a three-day hearing, Horlick's claims were fully accepted and the shop was ordered to pay $151,000 (approximately 22.52 million yen) in damages.
The car was also returned, but it was only the body with the engine, transmission and other important parts removed, so does that mean it was returned?
I don't understand why they waited so patiently for so long, but I guess it would have been good if the Porsche had been returned and the compensation had been paid (although it was too cheap considering that the original Porsche already had no engine or anything).
The question remains as to whether the people (the shop) who have been acting carelessly for so many years will actually be able to pay all the compensation in the future...
Source:
◆Porsche 911 Owner Wins Lawsuit After Mechanic Held Her Car Hostage for 11 Years
◆Porsche Owner Wins $151,000 After Shady Mechanic Kept 993 For 11 Years
I'm Rika, the author of this article. Ever since Porsche 911 became my favorite car, I've become totally addicted to Porsche, and I can't stop loving Porsche, so I started this blog. My favorite cars are 911 Carrera (991.2), 911 Carrera Cabriolet (992.1), and 911 Carrera T (992.1).
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