A British Porsche owner has finally won a gruelling 11-year legal fight to reclaim her prized 1997 Porsche 911 (993) after a mechanic kept the car and stripped it for parts.
Dr Penelope Horlick, a researcher from Oxford University, has been awarded £114,000 (around NZ$240k) in compensation, per a UK court ruling.
In 2010, Dr Horlick’s Porsche 911 sustained damage after hitting a pothole, resulting in an oil leak. She brought the car to JJ Engineering, run by Jagjiwan Jhally, for repairs. Initially quoted £9,000 (NZ$19k) for the work, Horlick anticipated getting her car back soon.
However, months turned into years as the mechanic continuously delayed the repairs, claiming the car required extensive engine work.
Despite repeated attempts to retrieve her car, Jhally refused to return it. He went so far as to claim that Horlick owed him storage fees, asserting a legal right over the vehicle.
In March 2022, Horlick finally took the matter to court. Shockingly, when the car was returned to her Kensington home, it was nothing more than a stripped-out shell, missing critical components like the engine and transmission.
In court, Jhally argued that he had invested substantial time and money into the vehicle and that Horlick’s claim was time-barred due to the extensive delay.
However, the judge ruled that Jhally had breached his contract by failing to complete the repairs within a reasonable timeframe, awarding Dr Horlick the aforementioned amount in damages. Further costs and potential appeals are yet to be determined.