NCJ Number
143825
Journal
Victims News and Views Dated: (Summer 1993) Pages: 1-4
Date Published
1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
For vehicle theft victims who cannot reclaim the vehicle after it has been recovered, the loss of the vehicle and the debt and bad credit incurred as a result of unpaid towing and storage charges can have a devastating effect, particularly on poor or elderly victims and on individuals with fixed incomes.
Abstract
About 90 percent of all stolen vehicles are eventually recovered by law enforcement agencies. Typically, the stolen vehicle is found by a police officer abandoned along a roadside or on private property. Police agencies generally contract with local towing companies to provide towing and storage services. Towing fees normally range from $50 to $150, while storage fees range from $20 to $30 per day. Unless towing and storage fees are covered by the victim's car insurance policy, the victim must pay the fees out of his or her own pocket. In California, if the vehicle owner does not pay towing and storage charges, the towing company can conduct a lien sale on the vehicle to recover its costs. In contrast to the specific legal rights afforded towing companies, vehicle theft victims do not have statutory authority protecting their ownership interest in the recovered vehicle. Laws governing vehicle towing and storage need to be amended to prevent injustice currently suffered by vehicle theft victims.