Driver sues $150,000 from auto mechanic who repaired her Porsche for 11 years

The mechanic consistently postponed the repairs and even claimed that the woman owed him money for storing the car.

As noted by carscoops, Penelope Horlik purchased a 1997 Porsche 911 in 2008, but she didn’t get to drive it as much as she wished. In 2010, she hit a pothole, damaging the lower part of the car, and sought assistance from JJ Engineering, run by Jagdijvan Jalli.

The mechanic estimated the repair cost to be around $12,000 but continually delayed the work. Later, the man claimed that the damaged 911 required a complete engine overhaul and insisted that he now had legal rights to the vehicle because Horlik still owed him for storage fees.

Overall, the woman spent 11 years trying to retrieve her Porsche and even took the matter to court. In 2022, Penelope was returned something resembling a “disassembled shell of a car” — missing the transmission and other crucial components, while upon her second court appearance, she was awarded $151,000, which the mechanic was ordered to pay as compensation for breach of contract and alteration of the vehicle.

Jalli himself filed a counterclaim demanding compensation for “significant expenses” related to the car and argued that Horlik’s case was long overdue.

The court ruling stated that the mechanic breached the contract by failing to complete the repairs within a “reasonable timeframe” and did “a bit more” than just remove the engine and conduct diagnostics. The document also noted that Jalli ignored Horlik's requests for the return of her car for many years, despite her repeated pleas and even having sought another mechanic.