Spain's Justice Ministry has been fined for the "little care" the Guardia Civil took with a seized vehicle, following an appeal filed by its owner.

According to the Spanish newspaper ABC, the Spanish National Court ordered the authority to pay 18,120.24 euros to the owner of the car, which was seized during a chase in Castellón on July 13, 2018.

"The damages reflected in the engine are the consequence of very careless custody and preservation and the deterioration on the exterior is not attributable to the inherent passage of time, but rather to carelessness in the use of the vehicle", reads the court decision, issued on April 18.

At issue is a vehicle of the German brand BMW, model Series 6, "whose retail price exceeds 60,000 euros". The man arrested following the aforementioned chase is not the owner of the vehicle, it is also clarified.

A court document was issued, dated July 16, 2018, stating that the vehicle had been transferred to a company dedicated to storing vehicles linked to legal proceedings. The report stated that "the vehicle described" was "in perfect technical condition".

Days later, the Guardia Civil's anti-organized crime and drug trafficking unit requested its provisional use, but the defense of its owner denied the request. Even so, the use of the vehicle by the authority was authorized and, in May 2019, it was removed from the aforementioned vehicle storage company.

Despite the fact that the car warned that it needed an oil change, the Guardia Civil agents allegedly ignored the information. "Consequently, the engine ran out of oil, seized up and the connecting rod went through the gearbox, rendering it completely unusable", reads the documents cited by ABC.

The same vehicle storage company was then asked to deposit the car there again, explaining that it was not "fit" to drive.

In addition to the damage to the engine, photographs taken by the same company showed the effects that rain, humidity, heat and dirt had had on the interior of the car.

Thus, when the Justice ordered the car to be returned to its owner, he found it with a broken engine, full of dust, water and dirt, after the vehicle had been in an open field for more than six months with the windows open. Therefore, he opened legal proceedings against the authorities, claiming reimbursement of the amount budgeted by an auto repair shop: 18,120 euros.

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