According to LinkedIn, Bill Oesterle, the former CEO of Angie's List and current CEO of TMap, LLC, began working with Craig Hillinger, owner of Healey Werks Corp., in 2010. In that year, Oesterle purchased a classic Maserati Ghibli for $16,000 and sent it to Hillinger's shop for restoration work. Hillinger reportedly told Oesterle that the work would be finished within one to two years and would cost less than $200,000. However, the work was not completed even after four years, and Oesterle was reportedly invoiced for over $1 million, according to the complaint.
The complaint also alleges that Hillinger convinced Oesterle to purchase an Austin-Healey 100M with him, a coveted factory model that needed assembly. Oesterle reportedly paid $50,000 for the unit, but upon receiving the classic sports car, he "discovered that the 100M was not a factory 100M as Hillinger had promised," according to the lawsuit.
"I want others in the classic car community to be aware of this situation," Oesterle said in a statement.
Iowa District Court Judge James N. Daane has ruled that Healey Werks Corp. committed fraud against Oesterle and violated Iowa's motor vehicle services trade law. The ruling stated that Oesterle suffered $2.4 million in damages as a result of the fraud, which was then tripled in accordance with Iowa's motor vehicle services trade law. As a result, Healey Werks has been ordered to pay Oesterle a judgment of $7.2 million, as well as court costs and attorneys' fees.
Source: Indiana Star
