Help with a Canadian paint shop, they took my aircraft hostage..

You are overdue to speak to a lawyer.

Baha wrote:
I have been dealing with this Canadian paint shop up in PittMeadows, BC
for about 4 months now. They took my airplane (A Piper Tomahawk) in
February to paint and put the interior plastics and carpeting that I
provided them (worth about $1000).

Since then the delivery time gt pushed back more than four times. Last
week I paid a surprised visit to the outfit and turns out that the
aircraft was painted in all white base color only. There was no
interior work done, not a trace of the trim colors or registration.

The ailerons and flaps were taken off and painted very badly. The
collection of dust on the paint was a proof that it hasen't been worked
on for a long time.
At this point I am worried because my phone calls are not being
returned. I am worried about the fact that in May the annual is due,
and I will have to get a ferry permit to get the aircraft back to the
States side.

I have to admit that I was attracted to the cheap rates of this place
and I don't think my complaint with Better Business Bureau of British
Columbia is not going to produce anything.

At this point I am thinking about calling local RCMP office, but I am
out of all the ideas to get the aircraft back..

Any ideas what will be the best course of action to follow on this?

Thanks,

Baha Acuner
Renton, WA

Ferry permit?

Baha wrote:

I admit to the fact that I haven't done any contract with them in terms
of the timeline. These people advertise pretty frequent on US aviation
magazines and I went by their references.
I am a new aircraft owner, so that is a major part of the dumbness on
my end. I have had nothing but good relations with my local mechanics
in the field without a major written contract.

At this point I am ready to put the aircraft together with a help of an
A&P that I have been working with, and fly it to the States but my
concern is with the aircraft registration not being present on the
aircraft.

But i just wanted to find out what will be an agency that i can contact
besides the BBB of BC who doesnt have any arm twisting power..

Cheers,

Baha Acuner
Renton,WA

OtisWinslow wrote:

You DID have some sort of a contract for this work didn't you? With
a timeline and guarantee date? I would never leave my plane somewhere
to be worked on at their convenience. Much less in a foreign country.

Without anything in writing I'd say you're just at their mercy.