Legal question with machine shop

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Hey guys, quick question, and not sure if I should call my lawyer yet or not.

Machine shop I used to do my block work scrapped the internals of my engine without my permission. I did not sign anything, nor did I give them permission to discard anything.

Is this illegal under PA law? I can remember something from years ago that it was not legal to do, but can't seem to find it again.

 

[Ramcharger90]

My guy asked me if I wanted my old pistons and connecting rods, Before he threw them out. It may have been courtesy on his part. Im not sure, Might as well consult with your lawyer if they are open.

 

[RonD]

It would depend on what you contracted them to do

If you contracted them to do a short block rebuild at a set price then they can do what they want with internals if they are replacing them with new.

If you wanted to see the old parts or wanted to keep them, then that would have been up to you to say that up front

scrape metal is not worth alot but it ain't $0 either and some parts can be refurbished or have core charges, so rebuild price may be quoted higher if you keep the old internals

 

[Ranger850]

Most people want to get rid of the bad parts. They probably just figured the same with you. Unless you're a normal customer and they ALWAYS give you back the old parts but they didn't for some reason this time. That would be a red flag. Unless it was a new guy. Those guys are always doing something wrong.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

It would depend on what you contracted them to do

If you contracted them to do a short block rebuild at a set price then they can do what they want with internals if they are replacing them with new.

If you wanted to see the old parts or wanted to keep them, then that would have been up to you to say that up front

scrape metal is not worth alot but it ain't $0 either and some parts can be refurbished or have core charges, so rebuild price may be quoted higher if you keep the old internals

They were not contracted to do the rebuild. Rebore, hone, cam bearings, balance crank, and clean after re-bore. That was it. Specifically asked them to return all parts.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

They were not contracted to do the rebuild. Rebore, hone, cam bearings, balance crank, and clean after re-bore. That was it. Specifically asked them to return all parts.

Call a lawyer.

Atleast in michigan you are specifically entitled to all parts back unless they are tu big or heavy, then you must be allowed to inspect them.

 

[Dirtman]

Not to bust your nuggets but if you hired them just to do the machine work, why did you give them the block with the internals in it? I've lost parts before, I've always ate it and just paid to replace stuff. But I've also had people come back and ask me for the old parts or peices back after I replaced them, if I still had the stuff I gave it to them but if I had already thrown it out I told them to pound sand. Unless they specifically told me to save old parts, drops, etc they went to scrap when the project was done.

Machine shops and fab shops make their beer money on recycling so if you want anything metal back you better ask before the work starts.

By the time you hire a lawyer and go to court you're already in more than the parts were worth. And even if you win, they can argue over the value which lets face it, is the value of 30 year old connecting rods. So about 12 dollars...

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Not to bust your nuggets but if you hired them just to do the machine work, why did you give them the block with the internals in it? I've lost parts before, I've always ate it and just paid to replace stuff. But I've also had people come back and ask me for the old parts or peices back after I replaced them, if I still had the stuff I gave it to them but if I had already thrown it out I told them to pound sand. Unless they specifically told me to save old parts, drops, etc they went to scrap when the project was done.

Machine shops and fab shops make their beer money on recycling so if you want anything metal back you better ask before the work starts.

By the time you hire a lawyer and go to court you're already in more than the parts were worth. And even if you win, they can argue over the value which lets face it, is the value of 30 year old connecting rods. So about 12 dollars...

They had the rods, etc to balance the crank.

Block was stripped, and all parts were soda blasted by me. They did not do disassembly. They were organized and tagged with oil-proof tags to deliniate them.

Found my original slip. It's on there to return all parts.

Not interested in discussing the money end of it.

 

[RonD]

Well if you asked them to return the old parts then they needed to do that

That's pretty straight forward, not sure why you would need a lawyer for that
If they already disposed of the parts then they are irretrievable, so a lawyer can't get them back

Ask for compensation for the parts, that's all a lawyer can do, and then you and the shop negotiate on what is fair compensation
And no lawyers fee

There is no "damages" just the value of the used parts, so................not a whole lot of $$$ there

 

[Dirtman]

If it says return parts on the slip then they owe you new parts. No question about it. Like i said, I've screwed up and thrown stuff out that customers wanted back. I always owned it and paid up in those situations. Even when someone asks for the drops back (leftover cuts of metal) if I accidentally threw them out I just bought them a new peice of material. Call them, give it to them straight... you want the parts replaced, you have paperwork that it wasn't to be thrown out and they need to do whats right or your calling a lawyer. If they have a shred of integrity that simple phone call should get them to do it. If not, call the lawyer, sometimes they will just do a letter for you for next to nothing. A letter from a lawyer often gets people motivated to do whats right without the cost of doing any real legal action.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Lawyer agrees with you. Apparently auto repair shops in PA have to do exactly that, hold parts till you release them.

Thanks guys.

This sh*t is just depressing.

 

[Dirtman]

If you want ill send a letter from the law offices of Dirtman esq and associates...

 

[Snoranger]

You gave them the parts to balance it... everything should have been balanced together... you need those parts back or it’s not going to be balanced correctly.

 

[Ramcharger90]

Not to bust your nuggets but if you hired them just to do the machine work, why did you give them the block with the internals in it? I've lost parts before, I've always ate it and just paid to replace stuff. But I've also had people come back and ask me for the old parts or peices back after I replaced them, if I still had the stuff I gave it to them but if I had already thrown it out I told them to pound sand. Unless they specifically told me to save old parts, drops, etc they went to scrap when the project was done.

Machine shops and fab shops make their beer money on recycling so if you want anything metal back you better ask before the work starts.

By the time you hire a lawyer and go to court you're already in more than the parts were worth. And even if you win, they can argue over the value which lets face it, is the value of 30 year old connecting rods. So about 12 dollars...

Wtf no my butt itches? Lol agreed

 

[Ramcharger90]

If they were suppose to balance and they threw out the rotating assembly parts they owe you a rotating assembly.