this car targeted by thieves while at a
repair shop all I know is I got a card
it's sitting on the ground no tires no
answers now the owner of the vehicle in
a battle with the repair shop manager
and tonight help me Hank investigates I
don't think what you understand is that
it's the vehicle was under your care it
was your responsibility if you have a
car at some point or another you've
handed over your keys and the vehicle to
a local mechanic or a shop when your
ride is in need of some kind of repair
but what if your car is damaged or
vandalized while in the care of the
repair shop tonight a local man is
sharing what happened to him so it
doesn't happen to you here's consumer
investigator Hank Winchester this is
what sharam Ivory's GMC Terrain looked
like before he took it to us a
transmission for some rear-end repairs
this is what the vehicle looks like now
he caused me he says I was calling about
your boo boss okay cool I'll take you
telling me about dummy is ready I'd come
pick it up mr. ivory brought his car
here to us a transmission on Dequindre
in Madison Heights the problem
originally some noise in the back of the
car but then one phone call from the
manager changed everything he says the
speed broken and cut through the fence
and they took tires and rims off three
vehicles i Brees car was hit by thieves
making their way into the gated locked
lot at us a transmission and taking off
with mr. ivories tires and his custom
rims I said so what do you guys want to
do he says well do you have insurance I
said well yes I have insurance
he said we might need you to make a
claim on your insurance to have this
repaired I said well why should I make a
claim on my insurance to have it
prepared and it was on your lot
after all the claim and the customers
insurance could possibly mean higher
rates not to mention the cost of
covering the upfront insurance fees and
why should I follow Matt I said well I
gave you the keys to my vehicle so that
you can work on my vehicle he said no
it's just like you driving at Kroger's
or Meijer parking your car on the lot
and you come out and your wheels and
stuff are going let's pump the brakes
right now here's legal expert Neil
Rakhine and they say I'm taking your
keys we're taking control and there
fee associated with that they are in
essence of green to hold it in the same
condition in the same way and be
responsible for it just as you would if
you parked it in your own driveway
Rakhine says the law is clear in this
case it's called the bailment and the
company that takes the vehicle or the
car is responsible to return it in that
condition
ivorie says the shop manager did reach
out to him one more time making this
offer I've been authorized to offer you
$600 to Wars on the repair of your car
but ivory claims the value of the tires
and the rims well over $1500 so I
decided to visit Mike the manager to see
what he had to say we're just trying to
talk to you about the issue ashram
ivories car okay my understanding is
that people broke into the gated area
took his rooms as tires right okay and
and are you replacing those for him or
how is that working well we offer them a
settlement
and that's where it stands I haven't
heard from that's why you have auto
insurance so it's his responsibility to
run it through his auto errors
technically or legally I offered the man
a reasonable so the wheels and tires
will be put on that car for under nine
foot okay
will you offer them less than that I did
why because just a healthy well if it's
nine hundred why would you offer him sex
on this day Mike the manager wasn't
budging despite what legal experts in
the state of Michigan had told us about
responsibility now what do you do two
options contact your insurance company
explain the circumstances to get your
insurance company to go after theirs
second and this one more costly contact
in attorney something mr. ivory has
already done and when you hand over your
keys ask about how the car will be cared
for what happens if there is damage and
sign an agreement that protects you in
the event of a problem I should tell you
that we're not done with this story just
yet we are working towards a resolution
police in Madison Heights also working
to track down those responsible for
stealing the tires and rims we wanted to
share this information with you tonight
hoping to protect you from a similar
circumstance
I'm Hank Winchester help me Hank this
could happen to anybody he's right
that's frustrating fifteen hundred
dollars with that and then