Firm loses case as it seeks Dh121,000 for rented car that broke down in UAE

Abu Dhabi - Court documents stated that the woman had rented the car for her friend for one day at Dh750 using her personal documents.

An Abu Dhabi court has dismissed a case in which a car rental firm demanded Dh121,000 from a woman as 'rental and repair charges' after she supposedly used it for 121 days.
Court documents stated that the woman had rented the car for her friend for one day at Dh750 using her personal documents. On the same day, while on the Dubai-Al Ain road, the car broke down. The woman phoned the police, who dispatched a towing vehicle and removed the car from the road.
She also phoned the rental car firm and informed them about the problem. The woman asked the owners to collect their car for repair, but they refused. Instead, someone from their office spoke to the driver of the towing vehicle and told him to take the car to a garage in Al Ain Industrial area.
When the woman went to the firm to cancel the rental contract and collect her documents, its owner told her to pay Dh27,000 for repairing the car because it required a new engine. The woman refused to pay, pointing out that the car broke down because of the company's negligence in maintaining it.
She then went to the police to file a complaint. When the rental car firm learned about this, the owner filed a counter complaint, accusing her of not paying the charges. He then dragged her to court, seeking Dh95,617 as rent and Dh25,500 as repair costs.
The owner claimed that the woman took the car while it was in a good condition and that she damaged it on the way.
After hearing from all parties, the Abu Dhabi court of First Instance dismissed the case due to lack of sufficient evidence. The appellate court dismissed the case, too.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com 
 

• Abu Dhabi