It's just sitting there...What would you do??

Ok here's what I got. A buddy of mine dropped off what I believe to be a very rare car. Well, he's a damn good friend of mine and I let him put it behind the shop because his wife would not let him put it in their nice suburb garage. This was about a year and a half ago. Now the city inspector came by two months ago and very politely let me know that it has to go. Or better yet either that car has to go or my 50 two door hard top caddy has to go. Ive tried almost daily to contact my buddy, Ive gone by his house and zilch nothing. Ive even left 30 messages on the phone. I know what he paid for it. So my question is before I get my *** in a crack with the city should I sell it and try to get at least what he's got in it and hand him the money when he comes back around or what in the hell would be the moral thing to do. My hands are tied here. A little advise here would go a long way. Oh yeah by the way shortly after he dropped this one off in my yard he did start another project on a 63 chevy two shortly thereafter at another friends shop.

 

I'd send him a registered letter stating what you just told us.

 

You have to come first , make all the attempts you can . As a real good friend he should be contacting you back right . But you know if you sell it out from under him he will become someone that you knew . It's funny the inspector though will allow 1 car and not 2 . Is there a storage process for outside like covered with a proper cover and not a tarp ?

 

Tow it to his driveway. Problem where it belongs...done. Moral, legal, complete.
Actions like selling it and keeping the money for him could easily bite you, legal action and/or an angry and bitter friend, who seems to be your friend despite total unhelpful unavailability when you are carrying his problem for free...

 

same here 3w. As long as you register the letter, after a certain point the car is yours. Im not sure what the time is in texas, but thats the way it is in iowa.

 

There is a legal procedure to follow to get ***le to this vehicle BUT you had better be sure to check WHO actually has ***le to the car!

Your attorney can enlighten you to the proper procedures to follow and avoid your own legal problems.

SO, what is a "RARE" car, anyway?

By the way, this guy isn't your buddy because friends don't cause this aggravation for other friends.

 

File a legal abandonement. Part of that process usually includes at least two forms of required attempts at contacting the owner that are do***ented. If he does not turn up, you have sold the car LEGALLY and don't open yourself up to any problems.

 

Not for sure.I also have quite a few other items sitting in the yard such has my RV,company trailers and such.The city of Texas City rezoned this area about six months ago and a fella bought a building a couple doors down and was going to open a boat repair shop and he say's the city is giving him a lot of grief about that.These buildings are out in the middle of no where and i am clueless has to what is going on

 

It would definitely matter what kind of "rare" car it is. if it was something I was interested in I'd be looking for a way to keep it around. otherwise i'd be dumping it in his lap.

get a portable garage for $300 from one of the bj's/ cosco stores and that should get the inspector off your **** if you really want to go out of your way to help your buddy

 

this car is sitting behind your shop? as in a shop in a zoned industrial area ? that doesn't sound right

i'd look into one of those cheap tarp type instant garages to hide it , you can get them for under $200 . i'm sure the city inspector wouldn't have a problem with it then

 

yup.

 

I'll help you out here.
Ship it to me and i'll worry about ***led ownership later.
Bob

 

what kind of shop do you have? can't you tell the inspector it's a customers car and you're going to be working on it? if not, i agree 100% with lancaster on this. i bet when wifey pulls in the driveway and see's it, you'll get that return phone call!

 

Some great advise guy's........Damb well don't want to loose a 20 yr friendship over this kind of ****.I guess i will send a regular letter first to show good grace and if that does not work i guess my hands will be tied to the legal route

 

Not a lawyer here but if they just rezoned it you should be grandfathered in . Your business was there under older laws which allowed you to do what was in there constraints . I would check into that and go from there .

 

That is what I did. I was helping a guy build a car in my garage. He quit coming around. After a year or so I took it to his club garage. That was 25 years ago and it still is not completed. He's not a buddy anymore so if I were you I wouldn't expect him to be a buddy again. CYA

You could get it legally with a ***le by way of a mechanics lien for storage fees but that takes time and paper work.

 

Storage fee if it's something you might want. Mechanics lean if you are in that business. Make sure you got the legal ends covered.

 

By trade i am a Commercial paint contractor.I have a 4000 sq ft wharehouse that i work on my own cars in here.When i moved in two years ago this area was zoned industrial but the guy that is trying to put in the boat repair shop said it was rezoned a few months ago.Chances are i got a ***hole inspestor with the god syndrome.But i will check all that out Monday morning and see if i still am covered by the grandfather cause.

 

If your main concern is just getting this thing out of your hair and getting the city off your back then just have it towed to his place. It already sounds like this "friend" of yours dosent really give a **** about being your friend.
So who cares if he dosent like it when HIS car turns up in HIS driveway after YOU were nice enough to let him store HIS car at YOUR house for a year and a half and now and HE wont even return your call??????? Gotta love your "Friends".

 

It's been two months, the inspector can't be an ***. I was given 10 days or they put a lean on my property, and this truck in my driveway had only been there for 2 days.

 

So, you never did mention what kind of car it is.

I can arrange to get it moved out of there, just let me know

Bobby

 

I'm sorry, but the idea of a Texas City inspector complaining about an eyesore just makes me laugh. No personal offense intended.

 

Yeah you don't want to lose a good friend, but how long ago since you spoke to him, at least two months, sounds like longer. He won't return calls or answer when you go by? Wife wouldn't let him keep this car in garage, but he started a new project, sounds like he may have told the wife he got rid of the other car. Registered letter, meanwhile check grandfathered and lastly tow to his house and leave in driveway, let him deal with it and his wife.

A buddy of mine had the same thing kinda, guy getting a divorce wanted to hide his '59 Coupe Deville, brought it to his house dropped it off. Luckily none of the neighbors complain, too many cars to complain about. Year and half ago he goes to look at a car for sale, his buddy answers door. Doesn't mention Caddy, don't know if wife is still around or not. It's been 3 years now and no contact from the guy... He doesn't know what to do with the car... Just let it sit and rott...

 

Worse comes to worse, let the city impound it. They will notify the registered owner and after a time it will be auctioned off. If you want it, go bid. Then you are legally and morally clear all the way around. You tried. Save it, or let it go.

 

should have called him and said.."hey man theres a dude here with 10 grand cash wanting your car..,,can you get here quick?"

than when he showes up ..drop the bomb..

obviously he hasent cared much to return your 30 calls asking for help...some friend

 

I'd put it in his driveway. Problem solved.

 

Damb good point of view!!!!!!!

 

Doesn't sound like he's much of a friend. Storage fees,liens,etc are just going to be a pain, and likely you'd have to end up proving he didn't try to contact you and you ignored his calls. How do you prove he never called? I'd go with towing it back to his house and leaving it in his driveway. If you felt violated or vindictive, leave him a message to send you the tow bill payment within 2 days or you'll tell the inspector there's a junk car at his house in the driveway.

Nah, play it straight up and honorable on your end. Just tow it over and leave him the bill.

 

Me, id finds the inspector's house and park a **** load of rust heap cars on his front Lawn in the middle of the night... but that’s just me...
Or, license it as a homemade boat, and place the boat stickers on it and tell him
To **** off, because it's not a sitting car, it’s GOD DAMN BOAT! And the state will back you.
I did this when I lived in Arlington, and they couldn’t touch my cars...er... boats. lol

you can do the same with sheds if the inspector *****es about building permits.