UAE court orders the deportation of expat for unauthorised car use

Al Ain: The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Claims has ordered a man to pay his female colleague Dh10,000 in compensation after he drove her car without authorisation, leading to its impoundment for reckless driving, according to Emarat Al Youm. 

The ruling follows a prior criminal conviction in which the defendant was sentenced to imprisonment, a one-year license suspension, deportation, and confiscation of the vehicle.

Court documents show that the plaintiff, a woman who worked with the defendant, filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh11,000 to cover the direct costs of releasing her vehicle from impoundment and repairing damages, in addition to Dh10,000 in compensation for loss of use during the detention period. She also requested court fees and attorney’s costs.

According to her claim, the defendant took her vehicle without permission or legal authorisation and drove at excessive speed, in a 100 km/h zone, which resulted in a radar violation and subsequent impoundment by traffic authorities.

The plaintiff stated that she paid a total of Dh11,000 to retrieve the car and fix the damage, while being deprived of its use throughout the period of impoundment.

In his defense, the man requested the court to dismiss the case, arguing that he had already reimbursed part of the expenses. He submitted evidence of a bank transfer of Dh9,400 to the plaintiff to help release the vehicle.

A witness, who worked with both parties, testified under oath that she had indeed transferred the amount on behalf of the defendant to the plaintiff for the purpose of releasing the impounded car.

In its judgment, the court affirmed that the criminal verdict, finding the defendant guilty of unauthorised use and reckless driving, was binding proof of fault. 

It held that his conduct directly caused material damage, including the impoundment of the vehicle, repair costs, and the plaintiff’s loss of use during the detention period. 

The court also recognised moral damages, citing the stress, fear, and anxiety suffered by the plaintiff.

The court acknowledged that the defendant had paid Dh9,400, a fact supported by bank records and corroborated by witness testimony. Taking this payment into account, the judge determined that an additional Dh10,000 was a fair amount to fully compensate for the remaining material and moral damages.

Accordingly, the court ordered the defendant to pay Dh10,000 to the plaintiff, along with court fees and expenses, while dismissing the remainder of her claims.