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Kid runs up a 16k Shop Bill - The Joe Dono Saga

I've been following this one for a week or so...the kid has cojones. Notable to Mac fans, he's conned somebody for a Mac notebook, sending them a different mac notebook with a bad power supply.

With the car, he originally asked for a simple paint job, and paid for materials. Then started adding all kinds of extras once the job was started. The kicker is that the labor charges over 4 months added up to about $16,000. Joe promised payment from his grandfather who is "old school," meaning he would not pay until the work is completed. The body shop was envisioning this car to be their breakout performance on the show car network. The price gradually creaped up to the $16,000 over the period of 4 months.

The car is owned by his mother, and is currently 2 months behind payments. She apparently thought that all the labor was being paid by "sponsors" and Joe is refusing to pay because he didn't sign a written contract for the $16,000 total. He did ask his girlfriend to pick up the car and all she had was $60, and she wanted to do a payment plan. Finally, he asked the body shop to polish and clean the car, and then leave it outside for the night.

Even after this debacle came to a head, Joe had the nerve to post on the same Tampa Racing forums asking for to buy another Celica for his girlfriend!
 
LOL!!! that kid sounds like a piece of work. But the shopowners should have really asked for a payment up front or at least a large chunk in a deposit, I am baffled as to why they would front the costs for all those parts without charging the kid anything.
 
bigjnyc said:
LOL!!! that kid sounds like a piece of work. But the shopowners should have really asked for a payment up front or at least a large chunk in a deposit, I am baffled as to why they would front the costs for all those parts without charging the kid anything.
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Unfortunately some people are too trusting.

I always have a contract, and periodic payments. But hey, I like to cover my as$ in case anything happens.
 
I don't understand how an unpaid 16K job is going to put the company out of business. Then setting up a paypal for "support" seems really tacky. Perhaps Joe is scamming the entire internet community.
 
^^^ Probably one of those smaller body shops, where anything over $4,000 is major.

These guys are also at fault, for not wanting at least 50% down on the job, or want the money for certain things done upon completion of the phase.
 
kingjr3 said:
I don't understand how an unpaid 16K job is going to put the company out of business. Then setting up a paypal for "support" seems really tacky. Perhaps Joe is scamming the entire internet community.
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The PayPal thing really pisses me off.

A business, asking for donations?

Are you freakin' serious?

Wait it out. Recoup your loss by selling the car that will most likely become the Business's property.
 
They still have the car, that's something.

If someone did that here, they'd have their arse handed to them on a plate. This company should get the bill together, wait a few days, and get some debt collectors involved.

It's sad that people take advantage of startups like this.
 
It's odd to me that a shop would do $16,000 in work without any written contracting / documentation. If they get the car, they're lucky whoever doesn't hold lien on it for the auto financing doesn't block them from getting it.

Still, this kid sounds like real scum, and hopefully this will prevent other people from being taken by him.
 
mkrishnan said:
It's odd to me that a shop would do $16,000 in work without any written contracting / documentation. If they get the car, they're lucky whoever doesn't hold lien on it for the auto financing doesn't block them from getting it.

Still, this kid sounds like real scum, and hopefully this will prevent other people from being taken by him.
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If the car is sold for the mechanics lien, the tow lien, etc. the finance company like all the others has a chance to pay the bill ... or watch the car get transferred to the new owner for the total cost of the auction + plus fees and all the liens are wiped out.

Some states allow the tow yards and shops to simply file for a title to the car lien free after giving the current lien holder and owners a chance to pay the bill.

I got some paperwork on a shop trying to take title my car after an accident, and lien my driver's license -- but I had already sold the car. And the vehicle title transferred without any problems besides hours on the phone and a couple stops at the DMV to check my license.
 
bigjnyc said:
... I am baffled as to why they would front the costs for all those parts without charging the kid anything.
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Good scammers always make it sound like the person getting scammed is getting a "to good to be true" deal. Kind of like those emails were a guy in Africa wants to send you $20M. In this case the "shop" is just two guys working a small time bussines out of a garage and they really want to get a job like this, to build a show car that gets noticed big time and draws more work to their shop. So a kid comes in and wants $16K worth of work and is wiling to pay list price. They can't say "No" to their first big chance to build that show car.
 
Sun Baked said:
If the car is sold for the mechanics lien, the tow lien, etc. the finance company like all the others has a chance to pay the bill ... or watch the car get transferred to the new owner for the total cost of the auction + plus fees and all the liens are wiped out.
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So in essence, the way the law works...

Bank loans his mom or w/e money to get car, and gets a lien on the car. He contracts JapWorks and doesn't pay, so JapWorks files a lien on the car, too.
The new lien has precedence over the old lien, and the old lien owner has the option to pay the costs and then pursue their debtor (I guess, the mom) for that money as well, or else forfeit the car completely.

I'm not quite sure I understand the lien law. So basically the credit union that made the initial loan gets completely screwed, right?
 
mkrishnan said:
So in essence, the way the law works...

Bank loans his mom or w/e money to get car, and gets a lien on the car. He contracts JapWorks and doesn't pay, so JapWorks files a lien on the car, too.
The new lien has precedence over the old lien, and the old lien owner has the option to pay the costs and then pursue their debtor (I guess, the mom) for that money as well, or else forfeit the car completely.

I'm not quite sure I understand the lien law. So basically the credit union that made the initial loan gets completely screwed, right?
Click to expand...

Whoever files for default first with the courts ... usually wins.

A small lien can make the primary lienholder lose out, if they decline to buy out the small lien holder.

Since this is a lien on par with their original loan, they may decline to buy out the mechanics lien and file a default of their own.

They may just elect to collect the entire cost of the loan from the noteholder. aka, paying off a car you no longer own.

Edit: Also depends on the state and how the system works, I know a tow yard here can file for title if their tow and storage bills are not paid ... though they need to notify the owner and lienholder and give them both a chance to pay.
 
i'm against corporal punishment but this kid...... well, my ethics don't allow me to wish him what he deserves.

the only good thing is that he will end up in jail anyway.
 
He'll run into street justice soon at the end of a fist, and he'll be lucky if it isn't holding 9mm or a pipe.
 
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