A WOMAN was left stunned after waking up to find her car missing – with surveillance video showing it being towed away.
According to the car’s owner, the vehicle was parked in front of her home when it was taken away on April 30 at around 2 am.
3
3
3
In video footage obtained by ABC7, it’s clear to see the moment the tow driver pulls up in the middle of the night, gets out of the pick-up truck and begins to look around
Within seconds, they hitch the car to the tow mechanism installed on the truck, before driving away.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I was shocked because he looks like a repo guy.
“He looks like a repo man and if anyone was on the street and they saw someone’s car being towed, of course they’re gonna automatically assume that someone’s car is being repod.
“That was not my case, my car was not being re-poded. My car is being stolen.”
She added that she immediately called the LAPD to see if someone from the city had towed her car, but they revealed they had not.
“They told me to call other tow facilities. I called other tow facilities. They told me they didn’t have my car.
“That’s when I panicked and I was told that there’s a possibility that my car was stolen.”
Later that evening, she received a call from the California Highway Patrol saying they had found her vehicle abandoned on the 101 Freeway, near the Tampa exit.
Frustratingly, a number of engine parts were missing, as well as the battery and catalytic converter.
The woman said: “It’s going to be really expensive to try to replace this catalytic converter.
“I never thought I would be a victim of my catalytic converter being stolen from my car by a repo tow truck or whatever.”
To make matters worse, she was forced to pay out $368 dollars to get her car back.
“I just want to let everyone know just be careful, be vigilant out here you never know.
“Even though it may look like a repo person it may be shady, but you just never know.
“It’s horrible. You don’t know the lives that you’re destroying.”
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