COLLISION AT AUCKLAND.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 September 1935, Page 3

COLLISION AT AUCKLAND.

TE HORO RESIDENT INVOLVED. As the result of a motor-car collision at Auckland, and the subsequent repairs to a car, Spinks and Hon, Ltd., of Auckland, claimed from James MeLeavey, of Te Horo, the sum of £35 for repairs. Evidence' in connection with the *:ase was taken at Otaki on Tuesday before Messrs Windley and Nisolson, J.sP. Mr. Atmore appeared on behalf of Spinks and Hon and Mr. Rhodes for Mr. MeLeavey. MeLeavey stated:—l reside at Te Horo and am a carrier. I was in Auckland on holiday on the 4th May, 1935. and was driving a Nash car on loan to me from A. Rolfe, my partner in business. I collided with another ear. J. got a quote from Spinks and Sotf, of Auckland, garage proprietors, for repairing the car. This was on May Bth. His exact quote was "That he would put the car- back on the road as good as it was before the accident for £35."j He also said it would take fourteen! days to do it. I then got a quote from Millers. They quoted £-15 for the same repairs. I then phoned Mr. Spinks and asked him to shift the car from Millers and carry on with the job. Spinks did not quote, me for certain specified repairs. I called in several times while the job was being done but it was three weeks before the job was finished. I took delivery of the car on the 31st May. On an outside appearance; the car seemed to be right. Mr. Spinks gave me delivery of the car about 2.30 in 1 lie afternoon, and said it was in as good order as it was before the accident. I went for about a ten mile drive and noticed the steering a bit heavy and the brakes very poor. I went back to the garage and tli.oy greased the steering box and tightened the brakes. I then took the car again. I did not drive it again that night except to my home about half a mile away. 1 left for home first thing next morning. Only for the steering I was satisfied the car was in order. I left for home as I had to get back to wjrk. I did not encounter any trouble ■coining home. The steering was not the best, otherwise there was no trouble. I had not driven this ear previously except the trip to Auckland and back. Some friends following in another car .-aid to me that the car was swaying badly on the trip. When I got back I returned the car to Mr. Rolfe and told him it was not nice to drive on account of the steering. Later Mr. Rolfe told me it was in a deuce of a mess. Mr. Porter, at my request, inspected the car. I have paid into Court £ll 12s (id and costs on that amount. Spinks had all day to examine the car and make an examination before quoting me a price. Mrs. Goldsmith is the person who told me the car was swaying on the trip down. John Edward Southgate stated: —I I am a garage proprietor at Otaki Railway, and I know Mr. Rolfe's car. It was brought to me for repairs early in June. I was instructed to examine the car and to report on it to Mr. Rolfe. Mr.' Rolfe informed me it had recently been in a collision. I was aware another motor firm had been supposed to have repaired the car. On examination I found the chassis was out of alignment and bent. The other main points that required repairs were as follows: Front axle, two wheels, engine bearers, cross members, running board stay? and generally as shown by my account produced previously. I was then instructed to repair the car. Somewhere about two months before MeLeavey \s ( trip to Auckland I had this car in for engine overhaul and none of these defects were in evidence then. At that time T relined the rear foot brake. The brakes were then in good order. The brakes were then certifiable. When the car was brought in in June I did the work necessary to put the car in j, r ° ocl mechanical order. The car then appeared to have been under repair elsewhere comparatively recently. This was noticeable on the forepart of the chassis, particularly the right-hand frame, the front axle and body. In my experience insurance companies obtaining quotes from me for repairs insist on repairs sufficient to reinstate the car to its former condition, if not better than before the accident. After

I look the body of)' the cur I found thiit the forepart of the chassis was four inches out of alignment. The lefthand front hub was out of true and had to be trued up and the disc wheel was also out of true. It is possible this wheel was not on the car at the time of the accident. "When I had the car prior to May I did not notice anything wrong with any of the wheels. I could not say if McLeavey had a collision between the time he took the car from Spinks and the time it came to me. If this car had met with a collision after it left Auckland it> must have had a second lot of repairs. John Alexander Porter stated:—l reside at Levin and am the Patrol Ofticcr for the Automobile Associa'-'on, Wellington. At the request of Mr. McLeavey, as an independent witucss, I examined Rolfe's car which was then in Southgate's garage. This was on June 14th, 1900. The report previously produced is my report after examination. I do the majority of the assessing work in this district for the N.LM.U. Insurance Co. My estimate of the cost of repairs was only an estimate and after the car was stripped it might be found that further work was necessary. On reading Mr. Southgate's account, produced, I noticed some items not in my report and his price for the job, allowing for these extras, would be reasonable. The extras on Mr. Southgate's account were not noticeable with the car in its assembled condition when examined by me. Plainly the repairs were as the result of a collision. The section which Mr. Southgate repaired had been worked on within a short time. There were signs of new paint and recent repair work on the car. The damage done would affect the steering. When Ave give a garage a repair job they understand that the car is to ne as good as, or belter than, before the accident; they have to satisfy us as well as the owner with the work they do. It. would be a severe collision to cause the damage that had been done to that car. To a casual observer [•lancing at the car it would outwardly appear as if it had been recently repaired. Further evidence will be taken in Auckland.