It seems to be a business model for shady resto shops to take no-refund deposits and then do nothing but wait until people come back angry and reclaim their stuff a few months or years later. Shop space just sitting there might as well use it to park a car there and make free money is the way they must see it. A shop here that has since closed would charge a small monthly 'storage fee' to keep customers cars inside even when they are not working on it. Most people don't want the hassle of pulling the car out in the middle of it being worked on so they leave it sit and paid it.