Ector County residents' suit over classic car repair reinstated one week after dismissal

GALVESTON - A recently disposed lawsuit pitting an Ector County couple against a local mechanic has been reinstated.

Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Barbara Roberts issued an order Feb. 1 reopening Tamika and Justin Dalton's lawsuit first filed in September 2012 targeting Steve McClure.

The suit was reinstated exactly a week after it was dismissed.

The Daltons first sued McClure, doing business as Steve's Auto Body, after he allegedly swindled them out of $20,000.

According to the Daltons' original petition, the plaintiffs paid the respondent $20,132 to perform repairs on their 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 2-Door Coupe.

McClure was requested to finish the task within three weeks of the execution of the contractual agreement between the parties, but he supposedly took a while, the suit says.

The defendant reportedly guaranteed an April 6 completion date, but that date too came and went without any results.

During a visit to McClure's place of business in June 2012, Justin Dalton purportedly discovered none of the repairs were made as the Coupe "was rolled into the driveway in the same condition it was in when originally entrusted."

Police were then summoned to escort Justin Dalton away, the suit says.

Court records show the respondent did not submit an original answer and was seemingly hard to locate as substituted service was ordered.

When neither complainant appeared at a Jan. 24 status conference, Roberts signed an order of dismissal for want of prosecution.

The Daltons filed a verified motion to reinstate on Jan. 30.

Cause No. 68,296