Classic/Antique Car Repair: 1960 Jaguar XK150 DHC, british car repair, jaguar xk150

Question
Long story made short.  Took my car in June 2001 to a man that found out about my car and wanted to help me with it.  I had not driven my car in a couple of years and he said I should let him so that I would not cause damage to the engine.  I took it to him to crank and check the brake fluid and fix the emergency brake cable.  The car was never ready and I kept telling him I wanted my car back and how much do I owe you.  From June 2001 - March 2006 I paid him $5,500+([plus parts I purchased).  When I'd ask how much I owed, he would say he couldn't find the ticket, just send me $1000 or $2000.  (He did install a S/S muffler system).  
In March 2006, I stopped by his shop again and he said he would get it running and give me a call with the total due.

He did - $19,500+ less the $5,500 paid = $13,500+ due. Yes, I was very shocked and thought he had the decimal point out of place, maybe $1,350.

I did a break down of all the tickets he found and the cost of each thing he did was way over the top in time. (he does not hire certified mechanics.)I can send this detail to you also.

I need an experts opinion on the work & parts he said he did.  Do you or do you know someone that lives in South Carolina?  The car is in Columbia, SC at British Car Repair with a huge junk yard of British cars.

When my car was there for 5 years, I would see other cars that had been there that long too.  This did worry me.  My father wanted me to get the car back because he felt he was trying to steal my car.

PLEASE HELP
Thank you,
Deborah

Thank you for any advise you can give.


Answer
I hate these stories. There are a few bad garages out there that operate like this and cast a shadow over the good guys. As a result, the car owner needs to take precautions. Every thing in writing. That includes signed authorization by the car owner for the garage to do a certain pre agreed on amount of work. It should be agreed that before the garage goes over the agreed amount that he must get the owners consent and agree on a new figure before work is done.  Now that said, my advice would be to contact a lawyer. I work for some lawyers here in the Northeast on cases like this, but I have no contacts in your part of the country. However it is going to be expensive to get your car back. An expert will be expensive as will the lawyer. But you car appears to be worth saving. Keep me posted please.
Good luck, Brad