Porsche owner wins $151,000 after questionable mechanic keeps 993

The shop kept the 911 for 11 years before dumping it at the owner’s home with the powertrain missing

When your car needs repairs, most people trust a mechanic to fix it and get it back on the road. Unfortunately, like many other industries, there are bad actors, and for the past 11 years, one British owner of a Porsche has had to fight mechanics to return her precious 911. She has now been awarded £114,000 (approximately $151,000 at current exchange rates) in damages in a British court.

Dr. Penelope Horlick, a researcher at the University of Oxford, purchased her 1997 Porsche 911 in 2008 and used it for several years. However, in 2010, she drove over a pothole, damaging the underside of her Porsche and causing an oil leak. She took the car to JJ Engineering, run by Jagjiwan Jhally, who agreed to repair it and told her the repairs would cost about £9,000 (about $12,000).

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Months have passed and Jali has not returned the car, claiming the repairs are nearly complete but refusing to give a firm timetable. Then months turned into years. Jhally claims the damaged 911 requires a complete engine rebuild and insists he now owns the legal rights to the car, while Horlicks covers his “storage costs.”

The university researcher took the matter to court in March 2022 and it was only then that the car was returned to her. However, only the dismantled casing was returned to her Kensington home. According to the Daily Mail, components such as the engine, gearbox and other key components were removed from the vehicle. Dr. Horlick sued Jali for liquidated damages and switching costs.

The mechanic countersued her, saying he spent a lot of money on the car and claiming her case was statute-of-limits because it was too late to sue.

The judge ruled that the mechanic breached his contract to complete the repairs within a “reasonable period.” The court also heard he did little else other than remove the engine and perform diagnostics. It was revealed that Jali refused to return the Porsche despite repeated requests over the years, although Dr. Hollick found another engineer willing to work on the car.

The total compensation is about 114,000 pounds (about $151,000), but details including interest on damages, legal costs and whether Jali can appeal will be determined at a future court date.