Owner of Rare Corvette Is Furious at Sorority

LAS VEGAS (CN) - A man claims his daughter's sorority ruined his prized Corvette - one of only 17 1969 Corvette L-88 Automatic Roadsters ever made. Jeffrey Hendershot says the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at the University of Nevada Las Vegas dented, scratched and spilled paint on the 'Vette while building a homecoming float, then refused to pay the $33,000 repair bill.

Hendershot says he bought the car in 1987 and restored it to its original factory condition, making it "highly collectible" and worth $300,000 to $500,000. He says the car was featured in the Bloomington Gold "Special Collection" Corvette Car Show, where it was recognized as "rare, unusual and historic."

In October 2006, Hendershot says, his wife allowed their daughter and her Alpha Gamma Delta sorority sisters to build a homecoming float at their house, where the car was stored in the garage under a canvas tarp.

During three weeks of construction, Hendershot says, sorority members stacked piles of wood and building materials on the hood, causing "noticeable scratches and dents," and spilled paint on exposed parts, including the wheels and rims.

Hendershot says he had to have the car taken to a Southern California body shop that specializes in restoring collectors' cars. He says the car had to be repainted with a special type of paint, disassembled and put back together, costing $33,101.81.

He says the sorority agreed in December 2006 to pay for the damages, but he hasn't seen any money.

Along with the $33,000 in damages to the car, Hendershot seeks $3,500 in attorney's fees and other related costs.

He is represented by Mark Borghese with Weide Miller.

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