Five years after a fire-damaged Toyota Land Cruiser was dropped off to a mechanic for repairs, and after advancing $66,125 for down payment and parts, the owners are demanding action.
William and Nina Draddy, of Rye, accused Mad Dog Service Inc., Port Chester, and owner Jon Lovallo of breach of contract, in a complaint filed on March 15 in Westchester Supreme Court.
“To date,” the complaint states, the Draddys “have no evidence of the condition or whereabouts of the Cruiser.”
The vehicle in question is a 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. In the past year, 1974 Cruisers, including modified models, have sold for $20,000 to $155,000, according to Classic.com.
On Feb. 2, 2019, an engine fire damaged the Draddy’s Cruiser at their home. The truck was towed about three miles to Mad Dog in Port Chester, a shop that allegedly represents itself as specializing in restoring vehicles and specifically Cruisers.
The fire had caused no damage to the body, except for the hood, but it had to be deconstructed and assessed to figure out what needed to be replaced.
Everyone agreed on a March 2021 two-year target completion date, according to the complaint, and the Draddys paid a $16,125 down payment.
In 2021, Mad Dog sent a letter to the Draddys describing the plan. The two-page list describes a thorough restoration, including disassembly of “every bolt and nut down to a bare frame.”
The transmission would have to be replaced, for instance, a 6-liter Chevy LS engine would be installed, and lots more.
The Draddy’s paid $50,000 for parts.
The March 2021 target completion date passed.
In 2022, the Draddys claim, they made repeated requests for photographic proof of progress but received none. The couple hired Purchase attorney Jonathan Kraut to press for answers.
On March 7, 2023 — two years after the completion target and four years after the Cruiser was towed to the shop — Lovallo notified the Draddys that he was “pressing to be fully assembled in or just past the month of May 2023 so the family can enjoy the truck for the summer of 2023.”
His letter also stated that the Covid-19 pandemic had made it hard to get parts, and that the $66,125 in payments “do not reflect a final cost or a final completion amount for the project.”
On May 9, 2023 Kraut received photographs and an update in which Lovallo stated that he was “heading into full assembly mode here this week.”
From this past June through October, Kraut’s firm sent seven requests for photos of the Cruiser’s condition, according to the complaint, and none were received.
“As of 2024, the services on the Cruiser have not been completed,” the complaint states, “and the Cruiser is … still in the custody of MDS [Mad Dog Services].”
The Draddys are demanding the fair market value of a restored Cruiser and other unspecified damages for alleged breach of contract, conversion, trespass on personal property, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment.
Lovallo acknowledged an email asking for his side of the story but did not offer a reply.
