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Help Adam & Family Repair Car and Avoid Eviction

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Some of you know me, for those who don't, my name is Adam. I’m a single dad living in Dutchess Co, NY, with my daughter, a Freshman in high school. I’m a balloon artist and entertainer and also do rideshare on the side. I’m embarrassed to be doing this when I see so many people on GoFundMe in so much need, and doing this is admitting I can’t do lLife on my own. My daughter would be even more embarrassed if anyone she knows were to see this. But I’m out of options, nowhere else to turn, and she is the most important thing to me.

Without immediate help, we are facing eviction from our home of 12 years (rental) and having our car repossessed, insurance canceled, and electricity shut off. If this happens, it would mean my girl needing to relocate schools and her residence. She’s a straight-A honor student doing so well, and having to make a change like that would turn her world upside down.

So, here’s my situation. My daughter and I have rented in East Fishkill for 12 years now. In a tiny one-room cottage. I work for myself as a balloon artist and entertainer, and for the last 7 years, I also drive rideshare, mostly on weekdays when my daughter is in school.

Our car, my car 2017 Elantra, needs $3,000 in repairs (read below later for more). The car has been off the road for rideshare since March, and I have been losing about $1k income a week and falling more behind on bills daily. I need help paying for the car repair and paying back bills – rent, car insurance, car payment, electric – that I have fallen behind on while not having my second income over the last month. I may need close to $8,000 to catch up, but

I’m asking for help raising $6,000 to help get these bills paid down and get the car fixed back on the road so I can get back to work and continue to give my daughter a home in the school district she knows and loves.

I’ve gone to family and friends asking for help with a loan. I’d rather a loan than having to bed, but none are able/willing to help at the moment. So, I’m asking, begging, publicly - I can't do it alone. Anything can help!

Also, please, if you know my daughter or have kids who know her, please keep this one to the adults and don't share it with the kids. Any help would be appreciated and thank you so much for reading!

Thank you!
Adam


--More details on the situation and back story below (a longer, rambling but more detailed version of the above) if interested--


My daughter and I have lived in Dutchess Co, NY, for about 12 years now, in a tiny one-bedroom cottage I call The Spider Shack. I run my own small balloon twisting and entertainment company. After a few years as a single dad and struggling balloon artist, I had to ask for help a few times. Then I started driving for rideshare in the area while my daughter was at school. It was the best job I could find that would work with her school schedule. I could be at school or home for her for sick days, snow days, and just being able to be home to meet her from the bus. With the extra rideshare income, I did pretty well and I was able to invest in my balloon company and bring up sales/bookings over the next few years.

Then Covid ended the world for everyone - but in 2022 I ended up doing my best year in the balloon business in 19 years.

In 2023, after Covid, and a series of unfortunate events, I ended up having to go through surgery for arthritis and bone spurs from my rotator cuff into my spine & neck. This of course limited and then ended my driving and balloon twisting for most of the year. I had no savings, so I lived mostly on credit cards and microloans. And I maxed out several cards for cash. That and some help from my daughter’s mom got me through 2023.

In June of 2023, I had the front struts replaced on my 2017 Elantra at a local Mavis Tire. I wasn’t driving often after they were replaced because of my injury and the surgery. So I didn’t notice at first that the car didn’t really sound or feel right after the struts were replaced. So, I brought it back to Mavis and had a few people look at it. No one would tell me what was done to the struts or what parts were used. But after a while, I did find out that what Mavis had billed and what they had done wasn't the same, and the parts installed didn’t fit the car correctly.

Over a year later, with the struts out of warranty, I took the car to a local shop for a quote to replace the struts again. That’s when I found out the only struts that fit the car are the original Hyundai parts, yes really.

So, I brought it back to Mavis, told the service manager the situation, that Mavis had charged me for the wrong parts, and that I didn’t think they were even the right parts for the Elantra. The service manager said that he wasn’t working at the shop when the work was done and since the car wasn’t under warranty, he would replace the struts again, this time only charging me for the parts, the labor was on Mavis. So, shortening this a bit – I had the front struts done on December 30th, 2024.

The car seemed good! But by the first week of March, the struts (both sides) started making noises and slowly got worse. By mid-March, I was so frustrated with Mavis I took it to Hyundai and finally found out 100% the parts that Mavis installed, the 2nd time, are not the correct parts and that since my vehicle is Korean made it actually only takes OEM parts. Really. I know! Search online – those AM parts you might find, they don’t really fit.

Anyway, because Mavis removed all of the original parts and somehow made the strut they installed fit, I now need the whole OEM strut assembly - $3,000 installed. Even the Hyundai service center was surprised to find out that only the OEM parts fit the Korean-built model, and they had to search, and it took almost 4 weeks for them to get the parts. But Hyundai has the parts ready now.

Yes, I may have a case against Mavis for installing the wrong parts, twice, and maybe I can get back the money I paid for the work they did. But I’m not sure yet if it will be worth the battle. But those funds won’t help get the car on the road right now.

Anyway, I have been a bit behind on bills for a long time, but not behind enough to be in a panic. Then mid-March, I had to stop driving rideshare because the struts had gotten worse. I have been losing $800 to $1,200 a week without the car on the road. And with my debt, credit, and Covid loans from the last few years, I have been falling behind quickly and my bank accounts are in the negative.

So, I’m close to eviction, the car insurance being canceled, the car being repossessed, and our electricity being shut off. Any one of those things will also lead to eviction. I’ve been struggling/working to keep my girl in this tiny home in her school district for 12 years and never been this panicked and afraid that I will lose it. It’s a crappy little place, but it's our place for now. I just need to hold on here for another 3 years! Until she’s out of high school anyway. And I can do it if I can get this car fixed and get back to working and get help paying down the rent, etc.

For anyone who may be concerned. Although I constantly struggle, my daughter has never lacked anything, food, clothes etc. Her mom and I have always made sure she gets the best, always has. She never wants anything except for maybe a bigger home and not to hear me complaining about money issues.

As for me, I don’t drink or buy drugs or gamble. I don’t spend on myself at all. Really. I don’t go out, don’t party, don’t Vaca unless I’m doing something for or with my daughter. If you can help, it’s my issues you’re helping fix, but it’s all to benefit my daughter

I’ve gone to family and friends asking for help with a loan. I’d rather a loan than begging, but none are able/willing to help at the moment. So, I’m asking, begging, publicly - I can't do it alone. Anything can help! If you want more info, you can email or message me directly.

Also, please, if you know my girl, or have kids who know her, please keep this one to the adults.
Thank you
Adam
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Organizer

ADAM NEWMAN
Organizer
East Fishkill, NY

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