I lost $1,800 after fixing a car in my shop – damage to the side should have been a warning that trouble was coming

An auto repair shop owner lost $1,800 after repairing a vehicle with extensive damage to its body panels.

The owner said a driver fled with the money after a check was sent by an auto insurance company.

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“It’s not a lot of money,” Kent Hill, owner of Hill’s Auto Shop, told the Chicago-based CBS affiliate. WBBM-TV.

“It’s the principle. I’ll be honest. It’s just the principle of it all.”

Hill said the owner of a Dodge Charger brought his car into the shop with a number of bullet holes scattered across the door panels.

The bullets tore through the cabin of the sedan.

The damage left holes on both sides of the car and broke some mechanical elements inside the panels.

“The guy got robbed,” Hill said.

“And running away, I think they shot at his car.”

Hill said he received payment for part of the complaint from Allstate. However, he did not receive an additional $1,800 associated with the original maintenance estimate. It was sent to the owner of the car.

The mechanic completed the remainder of the work on the vehicle and returned it to the owner, trusting the driver to return the money.

The customer said he did not receive the $1,800 check in the mail from his insurance company.

“I assumed that under normal protocol it would be a two-party check,” Hill said.

Insurance companies typically issue bilateral checks with the owner’s and repair shop’s names included.

This bipartite agreement aims to ensure that drivers are compensated for their services and that mechanics refrain from cashing the check before completing vehicle repairs.

Following alleged incidents in which mechanics allegedly refused to repair vehicles after cashing checks from a single party, several drivers have filed complaints with their auto insurers.

Allstate did not immediately respond to The US Sun’s request for comment. WBBM-TV also said it had not received a response.

Expert Advice on Preparing Your Car for Summer

Dustin Piggot, a service manager at a Subaru dealership with years of technical experience, told The US Sun in an exclusive interview what items drivers should have checked before temperatures soared:

1. Perform a multipoint inspection. A paid inspection will ask a technician to check vital systems like your brakes, power steering, and front and rear suspension for leaks or defects. They will also test the condition of the battery and check vital fluid levels and conditions.
2. Refrigeration system. Before things get hot, drivers should have their cooling system inspected for proper coolant levels and condition, evaluate radiator hoses, and check the radiator.
3. Check your air conditioning system. If the freon is low and needs to be charged or parts need to be replaced, it is essential to resolve the problem before the temperature rises.
4. Make sure your tires are suitable for warmer climates. If you live in a climate that requires a dedicated winter tire, switch to all-season or summer tires if possible to extend the life of your winter tire. Winter tires are softer and wear out much more quickly in warmer climates.
5. Observe the depth of the tread. Tires with low tread depth will make it more difficult to stop your car if you need to avoid an accident.
6. Give your car some TLC. Before it gets too hot, Piggott says it’s important to give your car a good cleaning to remove winter grime and grime and treat its paintwork with a nice coat of wax to protect it from harsh UV rays and high heat. Many dealerships like his offer detailing and washing services.

Read more here.

But Hill said the company sent a check to the Charger’s owner without the store’s name on it because the damage was less than $3,500.

The repairman, who has worked in the sector for 40 years, said he had never heard of the company’s policy.

Still, Hill said he should have seen the bullet holes as a warning.

“That’s how I see it. They shot at his car, so you would think he would be the most humble guy on the planet,” he told the outlet.

“This is new.”