Messy situation

helimachoptor

Folks, I'd appreciate some assistance from the motors forum.

My brother broke down on the way to Galway a few weeks ago. Long story short head gasket and 2 pistons were fcuked. Mechanic in Galway gave him an estimate but he's pretty broke at the moment so was going to scrap it and sell the wheels, big alloys.

Then a chap one of my brothers friends knows said he'd give give him €200 and the wheels. He'd bring it up from Galway get a replacement engine and sell it himself. All good. The guy however goes and gets the car and says it's not worth his while to sell the car without the wheels. So my brother says right you're cancelling the deal so i want the car back and i'll pay you for the tow up. The guy then says too late he's sold the car to a girl down the road from my brother who has given over her car + X amount of money.

The guy (who is a mechanic in a local indy place) then gives the girl my brothers number and says ring him as he has the log book. So my brother gets a call off the girl and says she wants to logbook. My bro tells the girl about the whole escapade so she's going to call the guy tomorrow.

Any advice? I suggested going to the gardai as in my view its essentially theft but i'm not sure they'll want any part of a civil matter.

MidlandsM

Tell your bro NOT to sign the VLC. Then the sale cannot progress.

biko

It seems to me the chap went ahead and sold something that wasn't his to sell.
Your brother's quarrel is with the chap, not with the girl. Your brother should deal only with the chap and let him worry about selling on a car he didn't even own.

This is how I understand it anyway.
All the sales scan still be reversed as long as your brother still has the VLC.

helimachoptor

MidlandsM wrote: »

Tell your bro NOT to sign the VLC. Then the sale cannot progress.

yep I've already told him that unless he has the cash and wheels in his hands

garhjw

don't send off the log book.you didn't sell the car or commission someone else to so it is still yours

Buford T Justice

Its tough luck for that chap. His problem, not you're brothers.

tyretec

Ha Ha jst report it stolen

helimachoptor

Yep my bro has told the girl to speak to the guy and he also will do it aswell. Regarding reporting it stolen could end badly as it's now in the girls possession and she wasnt aware of the situation around it.

Atlantic Dawn

Well if she bought it without seeing the logbook she could well have been buying a stolen car for all she knew which technically it is.

cruizer101

Maybe you have already looked at this option not sure.

But considering he was going to sell the alloys anyway, could he not just tell the mechanic he wants so much extra considering he basically sold the wheels as well.

Also, I do hate making accusation about people I know nothing but, is it possible that the mechanic may have replaced the wheels anyway, but just said he had to sell it with them and is planning selling them himself, just a thought that occurred, you have the girls details, could ask her.

Overall I'm thinking he wanted rid of car and wanted so much for it, if you can get that much of the mechanic thats the ideal situation rather than having to deal with getting rid of car yourself, has he tried just asking him for extra money for the wheels.

helimachoptor

thanks folks, the girl lives about a 5 min walk away, my brother knows her from secondary school so he can probably walk down and take a look. Hopefully he'll get it sorted today

-Chris-

How much does the mechanic (or the girl, or your brother) reckon the wheels are worth?

-If your bro is paid a fair price for the wheels, then the deal can go ahead.
-If the wheels are removed and returned to him, then the deal can go ahead.
-Anything beyond that is the mechanic's problem, although he's obviously done a sizeable amount of work on it (replacement engine?) and will want to be paid for that I'd expect. From my reading of it your bro gave the mechanic the go ahead to repair the car before selling it, so it's not like the mechanic was on a solo run...

It could all get much messier if your brother insists on taking the car back. He should come to an arrangement wrt the wheels imho.

helimachoptor

-Chris- wrote: »

How much does the mechanic (or the girl, or your brother) reckon the wheels are worth?

-If your bro is paid a fair price for the wheels, then the deal can go ahead.
-If the wheels are removed and returned to him, then the deal can go ahead.
-Anything beyond that is the mechanic's problem, although he's obviously done a sizeable amount of work on it (replacement engine?) and will want to be paid for that I'd expect. From my reading of it your bro gave the mechanic the go ahead to repair the car before selling it, so it's not like the mechanic was on a solo run...

It could all get much messier if your brother insists on taking the car back. He should come to an arrangement wrt the wheels imho.

He'd be happy with 2/300 for them i think.
These are the types of wheels he has


Just to clarify Chris, my bro and this guy agreed the deal for the wheels + 200, the guy got the car back up from Galway and then said he's keeping the wheels my brother said no. My bro said he'd pay him for the tow and he'd take the car and then the gut said he's sold it.
All this happened within 24 hours.

David09

I would be extra careful about not forwarding the logbook. What hasn't been taken into account is the fact the car could be driven while in your brother's name and accumulate fines and points.
Best talk to the people involved and work out a deal. If you can't, just pay the guy for his work and take back the car.

helimachoptor

All sorted, the guy ponied up the extra cash.

Thanks for the advice folks.