He entrusts his racing car to his mechanic for servicing, he finds it on Leboncoin shortly after

Funyo racing's racing car, resold on Le bon coin. Midi Libre – Pilotes.TV

The mechanic from the mechanics center does not want to return the car to his client and resells it.

The absence of the defendant at the criminal court greatly irritates Abdelkrim Grini, the public prosecutor. The accused, Thierry Argenson, a specialist in the restoration of historic vehicles and the preparation of racing cars, at the mechanics center of Alès, appears this Tuesday for fraud and breach of trust.

The owner and driver of the Funyo (a French racing car brand), originally from Clermont-Ferrand, summarizes the dispute between him and his former mechanic: “I entrusted him with my car for maintenance, even during races. He gave me a quote of 3,700 euros, which I agreed to, but when he offered me an engine upgrade, I said no. In the end, he billed me nearly 7,000 euros. that I didn't want to pay. We went to court. He produced false invoices but won his case. I had to pay the bill as well as the legal costs, the bailiffs…"

A legal expert report to establish the damage

The situation got complicated when the driver wanted to get his car back, as well as the equipment that came with it: a trailer, rain tires, rims, various materials… “He refused to give it back to me. He always had something to say. Until the day I found my car on an ad on Le bon coin. It was complicated, but I got it back…"

Except that in the meantime, the advert has found a buyer. The car is sold for 10,000 euros. The new buyer of the racing vehicle therefore finds himself cheated. "My client's home was searched, explains Julie Gras, lawyer for the two drivers.He paid for a car that he could never get. Thierry Argenson is a professional, he knew what he was doing and he cheated him."

"The crook's kit" according to the prosecutor

"This man has the whole kit of a crook, believes the representative of the prosecution. He uses fraudulent maneuvers to achieve his ends. Today, he is conspicuous by his absence. That he exercises his right of retention of the vehicle while waiting for his invoice to be paid, fine, but he does not have to sell the vehicle. Once the invoice is paid, he refuses to return the car and resells it.”

The requisitions are sharp: “I am asking for nine to ten months in prison. If he wants to reduce his sentence and not go to prison, he will have to compensate the two victims for his actions. This is a significant loss. The threat of incarceration is the only solution, otherwise he will continue to evade justice and manage his insolvency.”

Compensate the victims or go to prison

In its deliberations, the court followed the prosecutor's requests. Thierry Argenson was sentenced to eight months in prison. The defendant and his company were fined €4,500.

In addition, the two pilots were awarded, as an advance payment, nearly €20,000 for the damages. A forensic examination is underway to determine the condition of the racing car.

“The chassis is twisted, the engine is damaged, the trailer is unusable and some of the equipment has disappeared”, lists the vehicle's rightful owner.

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