A West End automotive workshop owner has been forced to take legal action after a customer failed to collect a heavily modified luxury vehicle for more than two years.
Aaron Cremona, owner of West End Service Centre on Bailey Street, says he has exhausted all options trying to reunite the owner with his modified Audi S4, valued at approximately $180,000.
The saga began in late 2023 when Mr Cremona notified the customer that modifications to the vehicle had been completed in November of that year. The European marque had undergone extensive work, including turbo upgrades and performance modifications that cost around $90,000 on top of the car’s base value of approximately $90,000.
Since then, Mr Cremona has attempted multiple means of contact with the vehicle’s owner, with minimal response.
“Every six months or so he would make contact and give another promise, but he never followed through,” Mr Cremona said.
The workshop owner said the situation had created significant challenges for his business, which specialises in high-end European vehicles.
“Every time there was a flood or cyclone we had to move it—and we’ve had a few of them in that time,” he said. “It’s become a logistic nightmare and I’ve held it for as long as I can.”
The presence of the abandoned vehicle in the workshop has also created misperceptions among customers.
“It’s a bad look for us because our customers keep seeing it in the workshop and must be thinking we can’t fix it,” Mr Cremona said.
According to Mr Cremona, the Audi had been serviced at the workshop several times previously before the latest round of modifications.
To comply with Queensland law, Mr Cremona said he has contacted the owner in writing every six months as required. He also placed classified newspaper advertisements and contacted police to ensure the vehicle was not stolen.
On 15 January 2026, Mr Cremona advertised his intention to sell the Audi at auction under the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act 1967.
Under this Queensland legislation, businesses that accept goods for repair, storage or treatment may sell uncollected items if specific legal procedures are followed, according to legal information provided by Queensland law firms. The Act requires businesses to provide written notices to customers and place advertisements in newspapers before goods can be auctioned. Any surplus funds from such sales must be forwarded to the Public Trustee if unclaimed by the owner.
Mr Cremona acknowledged that the auction proceeds may not cover all costs owed to the business, but said any surplus would be directed to the Public Trustee as required by law.
“I’ve attempted everything I can to get rid of it but the owner never follows up. I’ve had it,” he said.
The workshop owner declined to speculate on why the customer had not retrieved such a valuable asset.
West End Service Centre has operated in the West End area for more than 30 years, according to the business’s website, and specialises in European vehicle servicing and repairs.
Published 23-January-2026
