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Rotterdam body shop employee charged with grand larceny
Posted at: 02/29/2012 11:48 AM | Updated at: 02/29/2012 12:39 PM
By: WNYT Staff



Joseph Colarossi

ROTTERDAM - A Rotterdam body shop employee is accused of overcharging for unsatisfactory repairs.

Sixty-three-year-old Joseph Colarossi was charged with grand larceny. Troopers received a complaint about repairs done at AC Body Works on Guilderland Avenue.

State police say the repairs were inconsistent with the initial estimate and work order. The unsatisfactory repairs totaled over $1,000. Colarossi turned himself in.

State police say they want to talk to anyone who had repairs done at the shop recently. Call 518-630-1712.

http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s2517349.shtml?cat=300&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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State police say the repairs were inconsistent with the initial estimate and work order

That does not sound like it is larceny. Sometimes they give an estimate and they find other issues and have to fix them. It sounds like some miscommunication that went nuclear.

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

That does not sound like it is larceny. Sometimes they give an estimate and they find other issues and have to fix them. It sounds like some miscommunication that went nuclear.

I agree! The customer had the option of taking them to court....yes? Why  not go that route first? But calling the State Troopers? Grand larceny??????

I am sure there are three sides to this story. Who knows. It sounds extreme, but I will wait til the matter is settled. Unless it was some insurance fraud or something. Fixing anything is not an easy business and sometimes some customers don't understand that when you take a fender off a car, there could be previous issues like rust, earlier substanbdard repairs or damage not noticed in the initial estimate. Normally at that stage they call the customer and get permission to proceed but I have talked to one particular home contractor who ran into this and the home owner kept giving him verbal permission to fix things in an old house as he found them (it was an extensive bath remodel from what he told me)  Well the next thing he knows, the bill went from 5 grand to 7 grand and the home owner refused to pay the differnce citing the original estimate! The contractor should have gotten the approval in an amended contract but thought that because he knew this person and had done work for him in the past, and when he told the man it would be more (I think he added additional tile and had him replace the entire subfloor and upgraded his faucets as he went) the guy agreed- he thought it would be no problem.

Live and learn. Maybe this guy simply paid the bill and went to the police, and never said anything. Who knows? I have dealt with them and was fine. Also this guy has been in that business for 30 years there and there was never such an incident. When AC was alive, this guy was working there then and I think he is AC's son in law so all of a sudden he is a criminal? Lets see what the judge says.

............and sometimes you just CAN'T please the customer no matter  how hard you try!

Looks like this may be a more in-depth thing than an unhappy client:

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A month long investigation by the New York State Department of Financial Services and the New York State Police resulted in the recent arrest of a body shop employee.

Joseph P. Colarossi, 63, of Schenectady, was arrested for Grand larceny in the fourth degree, a felony, after law enforcement officials received a complaint that repairs performed at AC Body Works on Guilderland Avenue in the Town of Rotterdam were inconsistent with the initial estimate and work order. The resulting unsatisfactory repairs were not previously agreed upon and totaled over $1,000.

Mr. Colarossi was accompanied by his attorney when he turned himself in at the state police barracks in Princetown and was issued an appearance ticket for March 8th at the Town of Rotterdam Court.

Individuals who have had repair work completed recently at AC Body Works or by Mr. Colarossi himself and who have experienced a similar situation are asked to call the Princetown State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 518-630-1712.

Still don't make sense.

DOES TO ME....happens all the time.....don't ask for permission to repair more than what was originally estimated.

happened to me.....and refused to pay.....and that was that.....rather than take it to court which the repair shop did not want to do...

and not around here......so, there may be some truth.....don't judge too quick if the person turned himself in....making a quick buck

on consumers' pockets , happens all the time.....and sometimes it is kept quiet.....