This happened about 10 years ago when I was a young naive late teenager who was eager to work on cars. The owner of this company, up until very recently was someone who I admired greatly as a business man and mento. He gave me the space and knowledge to learn how to repair vehicles and sell them. This was a used car lot that sold really nice cars at below market prices. It was a small business with only 4 employees including the owner and myself. I repaired and sold them and was very successful during my time.
However being young and having limited driving experience came to a head twice. In the first occasion, we were driving new inventory back from the auction and I rear ended a flat bet pickup in a 2006ish Ford F150. Naturally it was an accident, nobody was hurt, and the damage to the f150 was minimal, with none on the flat bed truck. Thankfully the flat bed driver shrugged it off and we all moved on, that is, until I got back to the lot. I damaged the grill, bumper, and ac condenser. No paint damage, no airbags went off. It was a simple fender bender. Naturally I was fired on the spot. I packed my tools a d went home I was crushed, believing that my dream to be a tech was dead. A few days later, the owner called me to come have a talk. We sat down and he made me an offer. He handed me a post it with $1200 dollars on it, and an itemized receipt for all the damaged parts on it. He made a “deal” with me… pay for the damages in the form of a check deduction and I can come back and pick up where I left off. I was happy to have been given this opportunity at the time, I had enjoyed my job after all, and was making alright money at the time. So I agreed, and the next 3 weeks he kept more than half of my wages to pay for the parts. Fast forward another 6 months and again, I made a mistake. I had sold a couple a sweet Mazda 6 5 door with a v6 and manual transmission, this was a car I wanted for my self to replace my gas guzzler with. Due to the time of day and my evening obligations, when the couple came to pick it up, I got in a hurry to make it ready and bring it up front. In the process i backed their new Mazda into the back of the car they came in to pick up the new car! Tail light to tail light they hit, breaking the drivers side light on both cars and lightly damaging the quarter panels on both. I let my boss know and began packing my tools once again for the inevitable but was stopped mid way. My boss said “don’t do that, I’ll get a bill together and you can pay it and move on. Once again I was happy, until I was unceremoniously handed the bill with of $2600 this time for the labor parts and body work. This time when the cost was deducted, I was left with mere morsels of my checks for the next 4 weeks. I had to collect scrap metal and mow grass just to afford the gas and insurance to get to work. Thankfully I was living with my parents so I wasn’t as bad as some this has happened to but the point still stands. An employee of a company cannot be held liable for damage done by accident. My mentor broke the law in the most hush hush way and stole $3800 from me. He was paying me $10 per hour, hourly to fix cars and commission when I sold them. I’ve always had a knack for fixing automobiles, and he saw that. An experienced mechanic would charge him many multiples of what he paid me to do the same work, and I was his top sales person to boot! I saved him many thousands with the work I did, and made him even more on sales, but he didn’t want to loose any money on his bottom line. He took advantage of me because I didn’t know any better, and I was happy for the opportunity. He realized I was going to make him so much more cash that he brought me back after the first incident, and lost nothing by making me pay for it from my wages. So I guess to end this, Fuck you Charlie, You took advantage of me and stole my wages knowing damn well it was illegal, I’m glad your business folded. People with money will pick the pockets of those without. Stand up for yourself, and know your worth.