Donate Your Car Sacramento » Says

Warps engine and rns transmission dry. Says he will pay. Changes his mind?

Editor — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:46:26 +0000

Good evening. I have 2 questions pertaining to small claims court. If I did not select the proper area of law I apologize.

The story: Last April my brother, stationed in Beale AFB in Yuba City Ca., borrowed my car because his car was not working and had it in the shop for what, at the time, was 4 months. I told him there were two minor problems with the car 1) The automatic transmission slipped going into 2nd gear and 2) The ignition coil wire popped off while coming back from school one night. Because of that I payed more attention to that particular part since I haven’t touched the wire in about 2 years. With this information I told him what I had been doing, pouring transmission additive into the transmission at least once a week, to keep it from slipping, and paying attention to see if the engine suddenly does not respond to the throttle applied. He took the keys with the transmission additive inside the car waiting to be used. In May he informs me, via text message, that the car is suddenly revving extremely high. I try to diagnose the problem with the little information he gave me. Yet he continued to drive from Sacramento, his place of residence, to Yuba City. Approximately 2 days after he notified me of the problem he gets an oil change in hopes of fixing it. He also tries to get the transmission flushed but, considering his need for the car, the shop he went to didn’t have the time to do it. He then proceeded to drive back home. As he was going over the overpass the car began crawl slowly and rev high. Despite this he did not pull over and shortly after brownish green smoke came from under the hood. Immediately he informs me via text and asks me “how much do I want for it?” As he does not have any knowledge on vehicles whatsoever, I tell him that I need to assess the damage so I can give him an idea of what the price will be. He has the car towed to my parents house where I assess the damage. The engine was warped and the transmission ran dry. I tell him at least 2500 for remanufactured engine and transmission. He says he will he help pay. 3 months pass and I ask him for the money, he denies my request saying he will not help me. This happens all the way to the present. Now he offered me, which would accept as payments, 200 He then tells me I will receive the money IF I loose weight, interact with people, and return to the church.

My questions: Can he make that offer with those stipulations? Do I have a case here?

thank you for your time

Notes:
Brother- Married, 1 yr old son. Live off base and awarded BAH monthly
Car- 1989 Nissan 240sx 130k miles

What is your take on DUI Checkpoint Impounds Disputed says illegals should be allowed to drive without license?

Editor — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:23:01 +0000

SACRAMENTO – California police agencies are using millions of dollars in federal funds to set up DUI checkpoints, but they are apparently more effective in finding unlicensed drivers than drunks, according to the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California, Berkeley. Its examination also says that thousands of cars are being impounded for 30 days, apparently in defiance of a 2005 court ruling making declaring such impounds illegal.

State Senator Gil Cedillo says the impounds are taking focus away from finding DUI drivers in favor of targeting poor immigrant communities. Cedillo for years has pushed for allowing illegal immigrants get driver’s licenses so they can be tested and made to purchase auto insurance. He says taking cars from immigrants who need them is not what DUI checkpoints were intended to do. It can cost as much as $4,000 to pay for storage, fines and towing for a car impounded for 30 days. The report says municipalities share revenue with tow yards.

‘”They engage in it because it’s a revenue stream for them that they find is now lucrative,” said Cedillo.

DUI checkpoints uncover seven times more unlicensed drivers than drunk drivers, according to the report. Cedillo says in immigrant communities, that ratio is as much as 60 to one.

“It’s not effective, it’s not efficient, and now we’re finding it’s not constitutional,” said Cedillo.

The report cites a 2005 federal appellate court ruling that says cars can’t be taken from driver’s who don’t have a driver’s license.

But the State Office of Traffic Safety, which administers 14 million dollars in DUI Checkpoint funds from the federal government, says the case doesn’t apply because it was narrowly applied to a car owner whose car was taken from his driveway, not from a public roadway.

Office spokesman Chris Cochran says 20 percent of car crashes involve people without valid licenses. He says officers looking for drunk drivers at the checkpoints can’t ignore other violations.

“Whether they’re wearing a seatbelt, whether there’s a gun in the car…they should be cited for those also,” said Cochran.

Until the courts rule on a more recent case, the Office is telling local police agencies to continue with the impounds.

“As of now, we tell them to follow the law as it’s currently written,” said Cochran.

But many motorists feel a 30 day impound is too high a penalty for driving without a license.

“I think that’s very unfair,” said Pearl Medina, a waitress who has been stopped at DUI checkpoints several times.

She is in favor of getting drunk drivers off the road because they’re dangerous, but says using the checkpoints to confiscate cars from drivers who are driving safely in unwarranted.

“Nobody has the money to get their car out of 30 day impound,” she said

Don Berkstresser agrees.

“30 days is way too much. That puts a hardship on families,” said Berkstresser.

http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-tv-duicheckpointinpounddispute,0,2909565.story

Is It Ok For Sexy Women In Bikinis To Wash Cars For Charity?.. Make-a-wish Says No Thanks To $3500.

Editor — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:01:38 +0000

A local bikini car wash stand offers just what you’d expect — bikini-clad women scrubbing your car clean. But the concept is proving to be offensive to many, including the stand’s intended benefic…