Pretoria - A pink Daihatsu Charade sedan, worth about R30 000, was this week the subject of an urgent application before the high court in Pretoria, with the owner saying no matter what it takes, she wants her car back as it has immense sentimental value to her.
Judge Pierre Rabie ordered the sheriff of the court to find the car and to attach it immediately. The sheriff is to hold the car in safekeeping pending the finalisation of further court proceedings regarding it.
Janetta Lubbe, of Florauna, north of Pretoria, suffers from breast cancer, while her father suffers from skin cancer. He granted her the use of the car to raise cancer awareness. The vehicle was sprayed pink for this purpose and Lubbe has signs painted on it with religious and cancer awareness slogans.
Her problems started when in May this year, with good intentions, she reacted to a Facebook advertisement as she was in dire need of money. In return for the loan, she handed the car over as collateral. The agreement was that she would get R10 000 and within a month pay back R13 000, upon which she would get her car back.
But Lubbe’s financial woes got worse when her son was suddenly admitted to hospital. She needed more money days after giving up her pink car as security. She had to pay the hospital bills and once again approached the person in the advertisement. This time, Lubbe advanced her father’s white Daihatsu Charade as security, in return for another R10 000 in cash.
It emerged that that car was sold by the man, identified only as Mr E (as legal proceedings in this regard are still pending). Lubbe’s lawyer, Del-Marco Matthee said they would, within two weeks, institute legal proceedings against Mr E and whoever bought the vehicles, but they had to rush to court to obtain an urgent order regarding the pink car.
“This is to ensure that nothing happens to this car, as my client feels no money would be able to compensate her for this special vehicle.”
Matthee said he tried to reason with her that if she succeeded with a damages claim, she could buy another vehicle and spray it pink. “But she would have nothing of it. She wanted nothing other than this car, no matter the costs of legalproceedings.”
Lubbe said in court papers that the vehicles were sold before her 30 days to pay back the loans had lapsed. She said shortly after giving him the cars, she told Mr E that she had buyers for the white car. He refused to allow prospective buyers to come and look at the vehicle and the sale fell through.
She subsequently saw advertisements on a website where Mr E offered the vehicles for sale. It emerged that the vehicles were then sold. Lubbe said she tried to lay a charge of fraud against Mr E, but the police told her it was a civil matter.She wants the pink one back in its original condition. “I use it to spread hope for cancer sufferers. It has special slogans on it such as 'Jesus is my Rock' and 'Fight like a girl'. It is thus important for me to get the car back, rather than damages.”
Pretoria News