UAE deports man for driving car without permission

The Al Ain Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Court ordered a man to pay his colleague Dh10000 in compensation after he used her car without permission, which was later seized for reckless driving.

The decision followed his earlier conviction in a criminal case, where he was sentenced to jail, deportation, a one-year license suspension, and had the vehicle confiscated. The case began when the plaintiff, a colleague of the defendant, filed a civil suit claiming Dh11,000 for expenses she incurred to release her car from impound and carry out repairs. She also sought Dh10,000 for the inconvenience and loss of use during the impound period, along with legal fees. She stated that the man had taken her car without consent, driven well above the 100 km/h speed limit, and caused the vehicle’s impoundment.

Court documents showed that she spent Dh11,000 on fines and repairs while being deprived of her car. The defendant, however, asked the court to dismiss the claim, arguing that he had already covered part of the expenses. He presented proof of a Dh9,400 transfer to the plaintiff, which a colleague also confirmed in testimony. The court noted that the criminal ruling had already established the defendant’s liability for unauthorized use and reckless driving. It concluded that his actions caused both financial loss and emotional distress, including stress and anxiety for the plaintiff.

Taking into account the partial payment already made, the court ruled that Dh10,000 was a fair amount to cover the remaining financial burden and moral damages. The defendant was ordered to pay this sum in addition to court fees and legal expenses, while the rest of the plaintiff’s claims were dismissed.