Texas City mechanic sued over failure to repair Lexus

GALVESTON - A Pasadena man claims a Texas City mechanic failed to repair his vehicle, recent court documents say.

According to a lawsuit filed Aug. 29 in Galveston County District Court, David Michael Adams paid Johnny Washington, doing business as J&C Auto Body Repair Paint and Body Shop, $13,000 to fix his 2007 Lexus IS350 more than two years ago to no avail.

Adams brought the car to the respondents' business on Jan. 14, 2010, and Washington reportedly told him "that he was qualified to perform the necessary repairs, including repairs to the electrical system and body work on the car."

The plaintiff initially paid the defendants $4,000 and then $9,000 for the subject vehicle's additional parts.

The suit further explains that the complainant contacted the shop on numerous occasions to check on the status of the repairs, however, "it became difficult to reach the defendant after he failed or refused to answer or return the plaintiff's calls."

Adams then learned "only minimal repairs, if any at all, were made to the car" and was compelled to demand its release and a refund.

He recovered the Lexus last June 17 only to find it "had clearly been left unprotected and had suffered additional damage and reduction in value to the defendant's failure to properly store or otherwise shield the vehicle from the elements during the nearly two years it was in his possession."

Both parties entered into a payment agreement which required Washington to reimburse Adams the $13,000 in dispute, but the original petition charges the defendants failed to abide by it.

Meanwhile, the car was sold to a salvage company for "below what would have been the market value of the vehicle had it been properly repaired."

Consequently, Adams seeks $26,000 in total damages.

The plaintiff is representing himself.

Galveston County 10th District Court Judge David Garner is presiding over the litigation.

Case No. 12-cv-1881