A Darien man is suing a New York auto repair shop, saying the owner refused to release his Jeep Wrangler after paying more than $12,000 to refurbish the vehicle.
In a lawsuit filed in Westchester County Court against Port Chester Mad Dog Services and its owner, Jon Lovullo, Paul DeRose alleges that the garage showed up when he sought an update on the work’s status, and when he drove a tow truck to remove the work, the garage asked for more money.
The lawsuit accuses Mad Dog and Lovallo of fraud and breach of contract, among other things.
Lovullo could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The alleged illegal conduct “was not an isolated incident but was part of a long-standing pattern,” the indictment said. The lawsuit lists four other similar complaints against Mad Dog, all of which resulted in default judgments.
In January 2025, DeRose left his 2013 Wrangler in the garage to install suspension components, wheels, tires, lighting and related accessories. He paid the garage $12,730.12 in advance for repairs, the complaint states.
Over the next few months, Lovullo refused to respond to DeRose’s requests for updates, the lawsuit says. On Sept. 20, DeRose went to the garage and called a tow truck to retrieve the Wrangler, the complaint states. However, the store refused to release it, claiming DeRose still owed $7,000 that had to be paid first, the suit said. DeRose called Port Chester police, but the garage did not release the vehicle and still has it, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges that Lovullo’s continued possession of the vehicle “was wrongful, unlawful and without just cause.” Additionally, the defendants failed to obtain written authorization for additional work they claimed to have been completed, the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit seeks the immediate return of the Wrangler, compensation for loss of use of the vehicle and damages for “unjust enrichment.” DeRoss is entitled to punitive damages “sufficient to punish the defendants and deter similar conduct in the future,” according to the complaint.
This article was originally published on CT man spent $13,000 customizing Jeep Wrangler – but auto shop refuses to return him SUV: lawsuit.
