ODESSA, Fla (WFLA) — An Odessa man who depended on his van for backup electricity for his heart has his van back tonight, following an 8 On Your Side investigation.
“We are so happy,” Penny McDonald said.
Penny and her husband Jack live in constant fear of losing electricity. That’s because Jack has what is basically an artificial heart. A tube runs up through his body to a pump connected to his non-functioning heart. He is “plugged in” to electricity all of the time.
“This allows my husband to live,” Penny McDonald said.
Their 1996 conversion van offers “back up” power. When driving to doctor’s appointments or when the power goes out during a summer storm, they depend on the van.
“I can take my husband to the van when the power goes out,” Penny McDonald said. “I have access to a bed for him to lay down if he needs to. There is a television. He can watch TV and, we can have some comfort, but I can plug him into the van.”
But, they called 8 On Your Side when they couldn’t get their van back from a mechanic they hired to rebuild the engine, even though they paid $600 down. That mechanic, with Torx Automotive, they say, stopped returning their calls, then said they could pick up the van, then said they would have to pay a $400 cancellation fee, even though he failed to deliver the van by the due date.
“I explained to him the importance of this van and he said no problem and gave me a promise date of June 3,” Penny McDonald said.
So, 8 On Your Side tracked down Torx Automotive in Tampa, near Palm River and immediately found this is not the typical car repair shop. We spotted Jack and Penny’s van right away, but there was no business sign anywhere. Finally, owner Eric Witherington came to the door and said the company is closed, effective Friday.
Witherington explained he had to close because his work truck and equipment were repossessed he said, “unlawfully.” He said he rebuilt the engine on the van but couldn’t finish the job without his equipment. He also said the van needs a new fuel pump before it will run again.
Witherington said he did not deny access to the van to the McDonalds and he denied that he asked them for $400 more money as a cancellation fee, even though the couple has a text message from him asking for the money.
He agreed to allow the McDonalds to send a tow truck to pick up the van, but said they will have to hire another mechanic to fix it.
Witherington’s attitude changed Friday, when 8 On Your Side showed up with a tow truck driver, hired by the McDonalds. Witherington said the couple owed him a balance of $600 for the engine work and he is the one being scammed.
“Me letting them take the vehicle for only $600 basically means that by you all doing this, has scammed me out of my money that I put into that van,” Witherington said.
Another customer, Shawn Parmer, also turned to 8 On Your Side. He says Witherington won’t give him back his car. We saw that car on the lot Friday. At first, Witherington insisted he did not have any other cars on his property, but that changed when we pointed out Parmer’s car. He then said it was not our business.
