A lesson learnt....

[BENT_8]

Have you ever done something big for a relative or someone close only to be kicked in the guts?
Let me tell you my story!

18 months ago i owned a small business and decided to buy myself a treat as the dirty, itch work that i was doing left me feeling as if i should have a nice car to drive after work.
My wife and i decided to buy a nice blue Dec 02 BA XT with 62,000k's.
It was dressed with XR boot spoiler, 17" BA XR wheels, XR suspension and dark tint and in immaculate condition.
Unfortunately 6 months later i was diagnosed with a spine disorder that left me unable to do my work.
Having a young family(new baby) plus 2 and no income i was forced to sell my business and found myself unable to meet my repayments for the BA and considered relinquishing the car.
At this same time my older brother had been rejected finance for a new XR6t.
I offered him my car to drive whilst making the repayments that i could not afford, and only asked that he maintain it as i did and keep it serviced at a reputable repairer as the extended warranty was important.
No probs he assures me and adds that he has always wanted a new car and this was the closest he has ever been so wont stuff it up.
Yeah right!
I have just returned from a 26.5 hour round trip from the Yorke Peninsula to Wagga and i am not happy!
On Wednesday of last week my brother informed me that due to his new house purchase he can no longer afford the car and would i like it back.
The thought of that made me stoked as i love that car and am now in a position to meet the repayments.
Now when i handed my brother the keys 12 months ago, he gave me his poorly maintained(yes i mean wreck and yes it should have sounded warning bells but every body deserves the benefit of the doubt) ED classic with no reg, bald tyres, broken drivers seat and no 2nd or top gear in the trans.
When he told me of his predicament now, i offered to sell my current EL Fairmont and buy him a good EA with 147k's and immaculate from my inlaws because i felt bad that he had a car(death trap) before taking on my car and now he would have no car.
He greatfully accepted and so i set off with mate and fatherinlaw as side kicks, across the country, in search of my HOLY GRAIL.

Guess what!
My car is a wreck!
The left front gaurd has a 30cm bare metal scratch.
Both wing mirrors have been damaged and scratched.
Passanger door has trolley dents all over it.
front tyres were under inflated and are now worn to the wire on both edges.
(new when he got them)
Front bar/bonnet has been used as a trucks stone gaurd and has serious chips/scratches underneath.
All mags are damaged (2 new when given).
Drivers door mould falling off.
windscreen has huge scratches(too deep to buff out) because the plastic clip fell off of one of the wiper blades and he was to lazy or to stupid to fix the problem and allowed the metal to scratch the glass.(new when given)
Console lid broken and console full of liquid paper or something.
Tint scratched and peeling.
Passanger seat back still broken off(i actually sent him $180 for a new one 10mths ago).
New brake rotors replaced by Ford under warranty 20,000k's ago are now stuffed due to exessive pad wear.
extended warranty void as it has had no servicing in 20'000k's.
And the list goes on.
Now i am left with no option but to sell my good EL to pay for the car my brother has now(EA) and use the rest to fix the car that i must pay for over the next 3.5yrs.
With family like that, who needs enemies! : :

[Smoke Pursuit]

That is totally ****ED!

I never loan anyone anything of mine, occasionally i will swap my car with my dad as we are in business together and we have identical cars and both care for them to the same degree, but thats where it stops.

I would be making him pay for all the damage to it, and I wouldnt be sparing anything to save him a dollar. Is there something seriously wrong with him or is he just a complete tosser?? Im sorry if i sound a bit crude here but for anyone to do this to their brother and not offer to A) pay for it to be repaired or B) have it repaired before you came to pick it up is beyond me!

I hope you can get it back to the way it was as it sounds like it was a beautiful car... f

[FLYXR6]

My brother ever did anything like that i would take him out back and flog him to an inch of his life........ and he knows it.

I know this is may sound harsh but when it comes to family and MONEY or cars get everything in writing.

I suppose all you can do now is ask him to pay for all the damage to get the car back to its former glory. If e says no tell him he will have to sell his car to pay the debt.

[ltd]

Bent 8 that's rotten. I would confront him, tell him the damage he did, take the EA back for yourself and then spend the rest to get your car fixed. Also, I would let him know you will never lend him anything again as he obviously has no respect for you, or your posessions. See if you can get cash out of him for it as well.

[BENT_8]

Thanks for your thought's guys.
I just wish it was as easy for me to get the EA back as it may seem but unfortunately i had to also pay for the fuel to go over and back($350+ meals) and as the car payment is due Monday i cannot afford to run over and bring two cars back or get a bus/train/plane over and bring it back.

Oh, btw, i dont think anything is too harsh when it comes to labelling a fool who's own arrogance undermines his ability to recognise a gift horse when one comes knocking.
I can assure you though, that one way or the other I WILL be going knocking,
But there will be no gift horses for that pri.ck....!

For he may NOT walk through the valley of darkness and FC.UK with my Falcon,
And yes he had better fear evil...! out: :

[normxb]

Hi Bent 8
This might be a little O/T , but still a family thing .

In 1980 My wife & I owned 2 "Musical Instrument Shops" and I got sick , so asked my sister to run the shop for me (wife had a good job at Dulux Paints for 10 yrs , not worth leaving). As it was a pretty bad illness I was off work for 18 months . I offered my sister a VERY good wage to run the business .

Anyways , one Sunday night night I got a phone call "You better go to the shop tomorrow , I won't be there " WELLLLLL , she'd shot through to Melbourne then to New Zealand with her b/friend , (already been married twice before).

One shop had next to no stock ($2,000 of junk left) other shop had $7,000 worth of "left overs". total amount owing = $95,000 .

I found out there was a "hole" between the counter & till , also claimed wages for me ($250 a week) that I never recieved, $100 superannuation payments a month that was never paid , 2 x $2,000 loans (forged my signature) and a bank overdraft & she kept the lot. She was that good at signing my name , when I returned to work my bank "Questioned" MY signature .

I could have gone Bankrupt , but decided to try and trade my way out , and was on Stop Credit at all warehouses .

Solution :- Lived on wifes wages , Played in a band Fri & Sat nights to make car payments & running costs & my Mum (pensioner) came to work in the shop with me & she paid for lunches etc. ALL the money we made went to pay back Warehouses overdue Accounts & buy stock (cash only , wouldn't accept cheques) and pay back bank loans . This took 8 years to get back to square one and be profitable enough to sell out . When sold we didn't owe anything and paid out final bills . Final cash in pocket $0.00 after a total of 13 yrs work.

Lesson :- NEVER have anything to do with family where Money/business is concerned .....

So I can understand how you feel .

[Bobman]

That's horrible. Bit of a tricky situation too being in the family and all, hope it works out somehow for you though as I can understand your predicament, I have a similar story but it was lending my car to a female work friend with a similar outcome.

[Walkinshaw]

whats the old saying. Money and family don't mix. Might extend to lending of vehicles.

Hope everything works out mate

[thefargo]

I feel for you as well, it sounds as if your brother should meet mine; same disregard for other peoples property, while assuming he has a right to take/use it.
It is like the saying "you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family"
because I have chosen my friends wisely, I can and do loan them things, but for family...no!
it is sad really.

[Melz]

Ahhh yes the joys (not) of loaning stuff to family, all to often the people who think they are doing the right thing, get burnt... but at the end of the day they are family.

All the best sorting out your situation bent_8.

[BENT_8]

Thanks heaps people!
After such a hectic trip i had a good sleep in this morning.
I feel better but unfortunately the car looks worse through rested eyes.

I haven't spoken to my brother yet, proberbly better to leave that until my medication regulates my blood pressure again.

I guess the one positive to come from this is that i will never let this car out of my sight again, and i will find great pleasure taking what looks like a very neglected shopping trolley and restore it to its rightful condition.

Cheers.
Steve