In what could be a new Netflix docuseries titled “Worst Mechanic Ever,” a university researcher sues—and wins—a $151,000 claim against a mechanic who dumped her stripped-out Porsche 911 after holding it hostage for 11 years.
Hitting a pothole usually doesn’t and shouldn’t constitute a vehicle’s death sentence. Unfortunately, for a research fellow at Oxford University, that’s precisely what ended up happening to her 1997 Porsche 911 Targa.
According to Carscoops, Dr. Penelope Horlick purchased the vehicle in 2008 and was enjoying the 993, the final generation of air-cooled Porsches, as her commuter car until 2010, when she struck a pothole. The incident caused some undercarriage damage, including an oil leak. She was given a quote by Jagjiwan Jhally dba JJ Engineering of GBP 9,000 (about $11,800 at today’s exchange rate) for the repairs.
But the repairs never happened. Jhally would say the repairs were nearly complete but never provided a definitive timeline. “As time progressed, he became more aggressive, and Dr. Horlick was afraid to push matters,” said Adam Smith-Roberts, Horlick’s lawyer.
In addition to the pushback in returning the Porsche, which Jhally claimed he now had legal rights to, he also stated the engine needed to be rebuilt and requested additional payment for storage fees. In 2012, Jhally relented and said he would complete the repairs. But after another four years, he was still making the same empty promises, reported the Daily Mail.
Exhibiting otherworldly patience, Dr. Horlick gave Jhally concessions when he suffered health problems, as well as when he spent nearly a year behind bars for assault-related charges. Her patience ran out in 2022 when she filed a suit seeking compensation for breach of contract, for the purchase of a replacement vehicle (she bought an Audi in 2014), and for distress due to the loss of the “prized” possession.
Not only did the poor excuse for a mechanic countersue for reimbursement of parts and repairs, but Jhally also claimed Horlick’s suit was past the statute of limitations. What, and what? Oh, and then he unceremoniously left what remained of her Porsche outside of her home. Lawyer Smith-Roberts said, “‘Only the chassis – stripped of the engine, gearbox, and other crucial parts – has been returned.”
Following a three-day trial, Judge John Halford ruled in Horlick’s favor (obvi, but why’d he need three days?) and ordered the untrustworthy mechanic to pay GBP 114,000 ($151,000) in compensation.
“Nobody buys a Porsche to have a car – they buy a Porsche to have a Porsche,” said Judge Halford. “[Jhally] didn’t complete the work with reasonable care and skill; indeed, he didn’t complete it at all.”
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