A NEW crackdown could mean drivers face tows and fines of $500 in a US city – all based on their street behavior.
Motorists in Lincoln, Nebraska, will see a sharp increase in penalties if they’re caught driving dangerously under a proposed new law.
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According to KOLN, city officials are looking to amend a Lincoln Municipal Code to create new definitions and prohibitions for reckless driving – or even those caught racing.
If approved, it will see drivers having their vehicles towed – even for a first offense – which will only be released when a fee is paid.
The Lincoln Police also state that a driver’s second offense will result in their vehicle towed and only released 10 days later.
Towing a vehicle would come on top of a driver receiving citations for violations – which include speeding or reckless driving – and could top $500.
The proposed changes were read at a recent Lincoln City Council meeting, with the city’s police claiming the changes will give them greater ability to hold drivers accountable.
But members of ACLU of Nebraska believe the department has overstepped their mark.
Spike Eickholt, of the ACLU of Nebraska, said: “This sort of ‘in the field’ decision the officers make to impose this penalty of towing and impounding and storing of a vehicle in some circumstances, just flies in the face of our system of being presumed innocent and having the courts sort of impose punishment themselves.”
However, the problem of excessive speed and loud car noises along O Street has been a long-standing concern for the neighborhood.
Indeed, it is regularly discussed at monthly meetings.
A vote on the proposed changes will take place at a future City Council meeting.
Elsewhere, in New York, a man has been slapped with a string of hefty parking fines for a car he doesn’t even own – and has found the process of fighting the tickets a nightmare.
Hector Colon of Ronkonkoma, Long Island, was sent eight parking tickets last spring – claiming he owes nearly $1,000.
Colon revealed he doesn’t even travel into the city very often, as he works as a maintenance supervisor for a gated community on Long Island, some 40 miles from the city limits.
He says the tickets show the same make, model, and VIN as a truck he sold months before the violations, after transferring the vehicle’s title — a fact confirmed by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
Colon added: “I can’t afford $1,000 that I could be using for my bills for something I didn’t even do.”
Despite attempting to fight the tickets with records showing he had canceled his insurance and surrendered his license plate, Colon found himself in front of an administrative judge for the city’s finance department who still found him guilty.
Elsewhere, a disabled US Army veteran from Houston, Texas, says he’s now living with constant anxiety after his car has been mistakenly repossessed seven times.
Julian Barabin, who currently owns a 2019 black Chevy Camaro, said he no longer likes to leave the car parked in one spot for too long – as he is not sure if it will still be there when he returns.
He said: “They just keep coming, coming, coming, they won’t stop.
“Lack of sleep. Restless, on edge. Every time I hear a loud noise I wake up. I sleep with the curtain open.
“That’s kind of hard to do when you’re looking to get some rest.”
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
- Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.
If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
- Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
- Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
- Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
