Hey guys. I'll keep it short

Hey guys. I'll keep it short.
I did some work for a buddy who has a ton of money. Picked his car up on Friday and delivered it on Sunday. Still have the key. He's now saying he doesn't have the money to pay me. Legally as a shade tree mechanic with documentation of work done can I hold his car?
Southern USA. South Carolina specifically.

Honestly I have no idea, but if you gave it back already I'd think you'd have to handle it through small claims .

I've got the key. It's a 2000 BMW 540i M5 piece of shit so I'm assuming it's the only fob he has. I'm going to go pick it up tomorrow.

>has a ton of money
Yet pays to have his car worked on by a shadetree mechanic? You learned your lesson, doing sidework always ends up in this kind of thing happen eventually. The people who try to get cheap, unlicensed work done on their cars don't do it because they are rich, smart, and trustworthy, they are broke, cheap, or planning on trying to fuck someone that has no recourse. Chock it up as a lesson (you didn't really lose much, imagine someone suing you because their airbag didn't go off and you happened to do some unrelated electrical work to the car, but it doesn't really matter what you say because you have no insurance or license so it must be your fault).

Yeah. I walked into his house on Thursday to get the key and he was counting bundles of hundreds. He paused at 20k. I know roughly how much he makes a month. It's a lot more than I make a year. I cut him a bitchin deal. I'm also a good mechanic and he knows it.

How much work have you done to it so far? Just don't give it back until he pays you

It's more the principal. I stopped what I was doing.picked his car up. Used my rent money to fix his car. Detailed it and hunted obscure parts all weekend. Then charged him half labor rate. It's just fucky

All kinds of miscellaneous stuff. I told him the bill was 500$. That's kinda what I'm thinking.

Quit being a beta fuck and tell him to pay you.

I did. I told him I'd drop his car off when he had the money.

>I did some work for a buddy who has a ton of money.
He was never your buddy if he rips you off.
You were just another one of his throwaway resources he has networked.

You can consider reporting him to the IRS for suspicion of avoiding income tax evasion if you can get an idea of the sources of his cash incomes each month.

Do you have proof of a contract? No? Then get fucked.

>$20k in cash
Is this faggot selling drugs or what?

Just fucking pay him you tight arse

I'm just saying man. If he doesn't have a contract he doesn't have any ground to stand on. It is worth mentioning that text messages can count as a contract.

If he does, mechanic lien. Then sell the car or keep it to pay for the cost of the work.

Undo everything you've done to the car, Give car back and delete his number?

Verbal contracts are binding here when it comes to labor

>540i M5
Lol wat

Put sawdust in his transmission and smile.

>Legally as a shade tree mechanic with documentation of work done can I hold his car?
Check to see if you can charge storage fees. Is there any free lawyer consultation service? My area has such a thing that meets once per week at the local library. Just make an appointment in advance and you can have your questions answered and they will do things such as forms and other services as long as it can be done in a 2 hour period.

Got a contract signed?
I think you've got a case for small claims, but you'd lose your 'buddy'.
Buut he tried to stiff you on payment, s...

tell him you are holding your foot on the gaspedal, you'll be sitting there redlining it stationary untill he tells you you'll get the money ASAP.
Ban all shady people out of your circle aswell...

If you've already given the car back and you remove it from his property it's grand theft auto.

>He's now saying he doesn't have the money
Looks like he's throwing you away as a future acquaintance.

>Early 2000s BMW
>Lots of cash
>Cheaps out on basic things
>Acts like a total dick to "friends"

10 bucks says he deals drugs

If the contract will hold up in court then mechanic lien. That's how this works.

Find one of those lawyers that has free consulation and ask if there is a case and if the legal fees are part of the reimbursement.

>a buddy
He's clearly not your buddy

That won't return the hours of labor, in fact it will increase it

Quick follow up.

A family friend lawyer and an officer informed me that I have every right to do a mechanics lien as an independent. Verbal contracts are binding in SC. He was in jail and feds seized all his assets over the weekend. We are on good terms and he's paying me today. I returned his keys and we signed a little bit of just in case paperwork giving him 1 month to pay. My company also gave me an interest free loan to cover my bills. Thanks everyone.

good for you OP glad everything worked out

Also it's an e39 540i M sport not an M5. I'm normally a domestic mechanic so I saw all the M badges and assumed 540=M5

>He was in jail and feds seized all his assets over the weekend.
Did he say for what?

I already knew. Moves stupid weight. Pound a day level.

Ftr I don't move, buy, sell or consume drugs. Maybe an Adderall to get through an overnight project but I'm clean otherwise. I'm just his mechanic/buddy.

Ey bro

does he have a fat bearded brother that used to drive a corvette with a shitty trans am wing?

I would listen to heartbreaker, its a lesson learned. If you are feeling vindictive report him to the irs and the police/fbi for drug/terrorism activity and tax evasion.

No. But we fixed everything. It's all patched up. I didn't know about the cops I just thought he was being shitty.