The owners of two vehicles say their cars are stuck in a Garden City Park repair shop after the shop’s owner passed away.

The mechanic, Phil Russo, died around Christmas 2023.

His heirs have been battling in court over who gets control of the shop. In the meantime, vehicles that were being worked on are still inside. Nobody has been willing to open the door.

The vehicle owners say police have not helped, because it’s a civil matter. They say hiring a lawyer would be too expensive.

When reached by phone, one person involved in the legal battle said she does not have a key to the repair shop. Another person involved did not answer her phone.