7 On Your Side: repair shop pays up

Seven On Your Side
NEW YORK

"She has been so dependable when I worked. She never disappointed me. She no matter how cold, how hot, she started. She took me. She never broke down," Telfair said.

Telfair's trouble began a year ago. She paid Gran Pris Repair $1,500 to install a new engine that she provided.

"They gave me a 90 day warranty," said Telfair, "When I drove the car I noticed that the oil light, there was something wrong. I took it back and said the car is not running right. They said okay leave it and I left."

Telfair kept calling to see if her car was ready, but never got a hold of anyone. When she couldn't get an answer she went looking for Lady and was presented with a parking garage bill.

"So instead of fixing it, they took it up the street and they parked it and they left it and they didn't notify me!" she said, "So in three months the car was about to be seized by Marshalls."

She towed her car out of there and took the repair shop's owners to court and won a judgment for more than two grand, what she paid for the new engine, plus the parking bill.

"I'm extremely disappointed because the shop I took it to was licensed by the state so I felt comfortable taking it there," Telfair said.

All repair shops in New York State must be licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, but after hearing about Telfair's unpaid judgment the agency pulled Gran Pris' license to operate.

But when visiting Gran Pris business booming. There was a suspension in the facility and all the work they were doing was not allowed.

First, the owner Manuel Taverez said he didn't speak English with his son translating said he didn't know about the judgment or the suspension.

Next the owner, speaking plain English, showed his business' bankruptcy papers.

But after all the lying, he promised he'd finally pay up in two weeks.

Ten days later he did.

A money order, half of what Telfair's owed, and the balance is promised next week.

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