A restoration and consignment sales company specializing in Porsches that has been in the business for over 40 years is in hot water over not doing business properly. NBC San Diego reports the company is facing millions in lawsuits over not completing work it was paid to do.
For over 40 years customers have entrusted CPR Classic in Fallbrook, California, to restore and sell their Porsches. Recently it seems the company decided to throw those 40 years of goodwill the window. Take the situation with Hans Claassen from Montrose, Colorado. In 2022 Claassen hired CPR to sell his 1970 Porsche 911 on consignment after his wife was diagnosed with dementia; the car was a gift from her. They agreed to sell it for $135,000 with a 10-percent commission. A buyer was found, but then the lies started.
“…he was happy to hear CPR Classic found a buyer several months later. He said Andrea Doherty, owner of the company, gave him the news and told him to send the car’s title. After he did, however, he says she told him the buyer backed out of the deal. Claassen says he began to worry as weeks turned into months.
“Because they’re not telling me anything. They’re not keeping me updated with what’s going on,” he said.
Excuses followed, leading Claassen to seek help from a local senior program, whose volunteer pressed Doherty until she agreed to send Claassen “$10,000 as part of a monthly payment plan.” After only receiving a single payment, Claassen decided to reach out to NBC who, after some digging, found the company is facing numerous lawsuits in San Diego County worth millions.
Our team read through each of the complaints and CPR is accused of owing its clients $11,745,106, according to our calculations.
The lawsuits detail very similar stories from both sellers and buyers alike – sellers claiming they never received the money owed to them and buyers claiming they paid for, but never received the vehicle. We read that most of them wired six-figure payments in full.
One suit shows how CPR played a customer on both ends. The customer brought in their 1960 Porsche 356 Roadster for restoration. CPR sold the car — something the customer says they didn’t have a right to do — to another person for $160,000, who also claimed they never received the car or their money back. There are also several other cases involving CPR not giving titles to buyers of cars it delivered. Doherty seems to be ducking out of any responsibility, agreeing to an interview and then avoiding and ultimately not responding to NBC’s requests. NBC also reached out to the FBI, who couldn’t confirm or deny any investigations.
Sadly Claassen, who is also dealing with the passing of his wife earlier this month, told NBC he’s losing hope that he’ll see any of the money he’s owed. “I’ve gotten used to the idea that maybe I’ll never see another penny.”
