‘I feel helpless,’ cries driver whose car was towed 20 miles away after fender bender – then held hostage for $250 a day
A DRIVER said she was taken advantage of by a tow truck driver who took her smashed vehicle 20 miles away.
And others are warning that damaged vehicles are also being “held hostage” for hundreds of dollars a day by body shops.
Ja Felin was swiftly approached by a tow truck operator after being T-boned at an intersection in Los AngelesNBC LA
NBC LAThe broadcaster on the scene as legal experts that tow truck firms risk having their registration revoked[/caption]
Gladys Bermudez was traveling on the 605 Freeway in California when her car was allegedly sideswiped by another vehicle.
She told local NBC affiliate KNBC in November 2019 that a tow truck driver stopped at the scene and told her he worked with her insurance company.
Within minutes, he had hooked up her car and hauled it off.
“In the shock of that moment… he told me I was not in a good spot, ‘you’re going to get hit again’,” she recalled of the 2019 collision.
Bermudez later found out that they didn’t work with her insurance company after all.
It felt like my car was stolen, and I was being held hostage.
Ja FelinDriver, LA
And they transported her vehicle to a body shop 20 miles away – with the cost of the tow alone reaching $1,000.
“It was emotionally distressful,” she said, adding that she had felt “helpless.”
A similar scenario was shared by Ja Felin who was T-boned at an intersection.
“It felt like my car was stolen, and I was being held hostage,” she said.
A tow truck driver showed up and claimed her insurance company had called it.
But that was not correct.
“He was like a predator, who preys on people who are in horrible and unfortunate situations,” she said.
This type of so-called predatory towing is illegal in Los Angeles.
To prove the point, KNBC attended a staged collision, to snare operators taking advantage of crash victims.
This fake crash was then put out on police scanners.
DISCONNECTED BATTERY
Criminal charges are being laid against these types of predatory operators.
The NBC affiliate’s investigation also found high costs associated with the body shops the vehicles are towed to.
They sometimes charge drivers outrageous – and illegal – fees to get their car back.
One woman said she was charged $260 because they disconnected the battery.
Bermudez explained that her bill escalated to over $3,100 as the body shop charged fees which included “tear down.”
This was for taking off her front bumper, along with other work it claimed to have performed.
But she said she hadn’t authorized any of it.
HIGH FEES
The broadcaster was told by a legal expert that no work should be done until the car’s owner authorizes it.
“The law is very clear that no work shall be done and no charges shall accrue before authorization to proceed is obtained from the customer,” said Mathew Gibson, an investigator for the Bureau of Automotive Repair, an agency that regulates body shops.
He said any firms engaging in predatory business practices would have action taken against them, to revoke or suspend their registration.
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
When KNBC accompanied Bermudez to collect her caged vehicle, the tow truck released it to her – with no charge.
She accused the firm of taking advantage of hard-working people, adding that it was “not fair.”
The NBC affiliate shared tips on what to do if you’re caught in a similar situation.
When a tow truck shows up, get the name of the firm and how much they’re going to charge you.
By law, they have to tell you how much it’ll cost – and that figure can’t change.
It’s best to get this number in writing.
The body shop can only charge storage fees – anything else requires your approval.
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