Members of the Automotive Service Association-Colorado met recently with Colorado Sen. Laura Woods (R-Arvada) to discuss abandoned vehicles and other issues that face the auto repair industry.
The ASA-Colorado “Learning Circle” is a monthly meeting in which the ASA members share best-practice ideas and exchange ways in which the repair-and-maintenance shops can best serve their customers.
One issue that plagues the industry more frequently than most people realize is the problem of abandoned vehicles in the repair shops’ parking lots.
“The average repair shop can often end up with a few of these cars every year,” said ASA Secretary-Treasurer Dana TePoel, who owns Lake Arbor Automotive & Truck in Westminster. “Somebody sends the junker on the back of a tow truck during our ‘off’ hours, and then depending upon the value of the car and the type of work to be done, the owner might decline to authorize the repair. While the owner is trying to decide what to do, we might fall out of contact with them, and everybody ends up in a bad position. It’s a lose-lose.”
The ASA members explained to Sen. Woods that there is currently no legal accommodation for repair shops to take ownership and dispose of these junkers. The ASA suggested that she create legislation that would force the Department of Motor Vehicles to recognize this abandoned-vehicle situation in its bill of sale and other legal paperwork.
About ASA-Colorado
ASA-Colorado is a non-profit trade association serving independent automotive service professionals, and it advances professionalism and excellence in the auto repair industry through education, representation and member services.
About Lake Arbor Automotive & Truck
Founded in 1992 as the Emissions Clinic, Lake Arbor Auto moved in 2006 to its current location at 9146 Marshall Place in Westminster, Colo., with a state-of-the-art facility designed for maximum customer comfort. Over a three-year period (2009-2012), Lake Arbor Auto won seven significant awards recognizing its commitment to business ethics including the Bill Daniels Ethics in Business Award from the Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance, Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Marketplace Trust and Golden Ethics Award. Lake Arbor Auto was named one of the Top Ten Shops in the nation in 2015, according to Motor Age Magazine. A multiple recipient of the BBB’s Gold Star Award, Lake Arbor Auto has won the Colorado Community Media’s “Best Auto Repair Shop” award for six straight years. Lake Arbor Auto is a Triple-A approved repair shop and has the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence with five ASE-certified Master Technicians on staff. Lake Arbor Auto is an ASA (Automotive Service Association) national and state member, is the highest volume emissions repair facility in Colorado, and is a member of the Association of Diesel Specialists. In 2014 and 2015, ColoradoBiz magazine listed Lake Arbor Auto among the publication’s Top 250 Private Companies. For information call 303-429-7700 or go to www.lakearborauto.com. “We do the right thing for you every time.”