Two more customers say they paid Jarit Johnson’s Troutman restoration business for classic cars that never reached the finish line, pushing the alleged unpaid tab tied to his shop to roughly $243,000. The claims add fresh fuel to a legal dispute already involving the brother of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
The new allegations involve separate restoration projects dating back as far as 2016, with customers describing years of delays, incomplete work and broken payment promises. They follow a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a United Kingdom man who says he paid six figures for a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle that was still unfinished five years later.
Earlier Customer Says Settlement Fell Apart
Julia Tomko says she paid $78,364 to Jarit Johnson Restoration in April 2016 for parts and labor, according to the Charlotte Observer. The parties later settled for $85,000, but Tomko says Johnson made only two of 48 monthly payments of $1,770.84; a filing says she is entitled to $121,458.32 after the settlement was breached.
Another dispute involves Nicole Taylor and her father, Billy Taylor, who say Johnson owes them $100,000 over the restoration of a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad. The family, with ties to San Diego and Lancaster, South Carolina, told the Observer they have been waiting on the project and payment for years.
Chevelle Lawsuit Put Troutman Shop Under Scrutiny
The latest claims come after Lee Chapman sued Johnson in Iredell County Superior Court over a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Coupe. Chapman says he paid at least $140,000 in advance in 2021 because Johnson’s operation presented itself as being run by “NASCAR and racing guys,” according to an earlier lawsuit report.
Chapman says he eventually had the car and its parts removed from Johnson’s shop with help from a third-party recovery company. An inventory allegedly found about $37,000 in parts that were missing or never ordered, while some completed work allegedly needed to be redone; the lawsuit seeks at least $175,000 and asks a jury to award treble damages, the Observer reported.
Johnson has attributed delays in at least one project to serious injuries, saying in a court response that he broke his back in March 2017 and underwent hip surgeries in November 2018 and April 2019. The Charlotte Observer also reported that attempts to reach Johnson and his business by phone and email were unsuccessful.
What Happens Next
The matters described in the reporting are civil disputes and allegations, not criminal convictions, and liability has not been determined. No court date had been scheduled in Chapman’s case, while the newer claims involving Tomko and the Taylors add to the financial pressure surrounding the Troutman restoration operation.
