HOA threatened to sue him over a life-like dinosaur in his yard, so he moved it — and accidentally built one of Austin's biggest roadside attractions
The dinosaur sculpture his HOA wanted gone found a second life at the Austin car wash he later transformed into a Jurassic-themed attraction
For John Borek, a dispute with his Homeowners Association (HOA) could have ended with doing what was asked of him. And in a way, that is what happened, except that instead of discarding the wonky T-Rex he had carved in his garden as a fun Halloween decoration, the Austin businessman turned it into one of the most recognized landmarks in the area now! It all started when the HOA raised questions about the animatronic dinosaur and threatened to sue him if he failed to remove it. Instead of counterattacking, Borex removed the sculpture from his yard and shifted it to another property he had bought in 2015. Today, his dinosaurs guide dozens of car owners into a prehistoric-style Jurassic-themed car wash. The July 27, 2026 story was published by the Austin American-Statesman.
Dinos at your service
Dubbed “Jurassic Car Wash,” Borex’s property is one of the favorite car washes among Austinites. Tucked at 4809 South Congress Avenue in South Austin, the 24-hour car wash features four wash bays. As car owners enter the service shop, a pterodactyl greets them, and a Tyrannosaurus rex shoots a bubbly spray of water at their cars. Inside, the wash tunnel is punctuated with several other dinosaurs who look down upon the customers with their gnarly grins and leery smiles. While the owners watch the employees turn dirt and grime into gleaming bumpers, the rest of the dinosaur displays keep younger visitors entertained, adding to the prehistoric theme of the attraction. A friendly dilophosaurus is always busy with customers who are eager to snap a selfie with it.
All thanks to HOA
All these dinos, however, wouldn’t be entertaining the customers if the HOA hadn’t intimidated Borek into shoving them out of his yard. He didn’t want to throw away these majestic sculptures, so he relocated them to another property he owned on South Congress Avenue. "The neighborhood association threatened to sue me," Borek recalled. "I wanted the car wash to be fun and different from others. The solution was obvious, and that's how Jurassic Car Wash was born." Lucky for him, the car wash business started thriving unexpectedly after the installation of dinosaurs.
From crisis to catalysts
According to the Journal of Urban Economics, nearly 60% of single-family homes and 80% of homes in new subdivisions are governed by an HOA. Because HOA rules govern millions of homes, disputes over landscaping and outdoor decorations are relatively common. Borek's experience also reflects research suggesting that setbacks can sometimes lead to new business opportunities. A report in the Journal of Business Research documented that each negative experience has a 0.4% contribution to being self-employed.
These dinosaurs won't go extinct
For years, Borek catered to his customers with his goofy dino buddies. Eight years later, he sold it to two guys, Vincent Korth and Gavin Greenblum. "As you get older, you don’t want to work every single day. They also offered me a lot of money for it," the 60-year-old explained. "It's kind of a generational thing. We're younger guys. We're in our 30s. John is kind of like passing the torch to us,” said Korth, and added, "We're keeping little jewels in Austin that have always been there."
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