These People, They Make Me Mad!

The customer is not always right, okay? That was spray painter Willem Boman’s attitude, when his customer, Mr Abdool Morris, took him to the Small Claims Court for a refund for work not done.

Cases are supposed to last 30 minutes at the most, but this fight was so hectic, and the claim so confusing and complicated that Commissioner Paul Meyerowitz got bogged down with it for three hours.

When it finally ended, the Commissioner told them: “I’ve spent more time trying to calm you both, than adjudicating the claim – this hasn't been a court case, it's more like I've been a psychologist giving therapy to two naughty boys."

Mr Morris claimed from Mr Boman a refund for spray-painting allegedly not done, but neither of them had their act together, and both were so confused and agitated that the commissioner asked: “What's this mess about?”

Mr Morris replied: "I paid him R2 100 to spray my car, and to get a windscreen."

Mr Boman countered: "R1 800 is all I got."

Mr Morris replied: "He phoned to say I'll get the car back if I paid the balance, so I paid the R900, but when I fetched the car he hadn't even started on it."

Mr Boman replied: “The car was finished, but then he took it for engine repairs to his cousin, who damaged it, and now Mr Morris blames me. I repaired it a second time, but he never gave me a cent for it."

Then Mr Boman blurted to the claimant: “Tell the truth man, tell the truth!"

Mr Morris responded: “I took the car to my uncle to overhaul the engine.”

Mr Boman urged the Commissioner to ask Mr Morris what the car looked like at his uncle’s home, and Mr Morris replied: “It looked okay.”

Mr Boman countered: “What about the roof of the car, where was the roof – is the roof supposed to be somewhere in the air?”

Suddenly, an angry Mr Boman thumped the table and shouted : "People come and run me down in court, but they don't want to pay -- they make me sick! I've been in the business 35 years and you can't teach me anything."

Mr Morris replied: "He's not telling the truth – he’s doing other people's jobs with my money."

But the commissioner told Mr Morris: "I don't know what or who to believe."

Mr Boman responded: "I refused to fix the car a second time, free, after the cousin damaged it, so now Mr Morris fights me in court about it -- He can't even ask me nicely."

Then, in a sudden change of heart, Mr Boman said: "I will re-do the car, just to show that I'm a good person, but I don't like to be in a court like this."

Unexpectedly, they shook hands, and Mr Meyerowitz responded: "I cannot enter an order against Mr Boman, as Mr Morris has not proved his case, but at least something positive has come of it all.”