Towing Issues: illegal tow, certified mail, tow company
QuestionQUESTION: I own a 24'uhaul truck and somebody named John called a Florence SC local tow company. Without proof of ownership this company towed the uhaul to a local scrap yard. I have found the truck before crushed and filed police report. The tow company even after saying it seemed fishy want to charge me to tow my truck back. Also the box was broken into and car parts stolen. I will never get the money from the thief but what is the tow company liable for or my rights to sue and can I sue for more then tow? This was on private property, no leans and mgmt did not authorize removal.
ANSWER: The towing company cannot tow a vehicle without authorization from the owner. You have a good case against them because they are responsible for the vehicle and the contents when they tow it. I would recommend filing a complaint in writing to the owner of the towing company. Certified mail usually makes a good impression. Try that and let me know what you get.
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QUESTION: The car parts (69 mustang) were most likely taken out before the driver got there, what should I put into the certified letter or what do I ask for? What are my damages due to accepting an illegal tow? I haven't talked to the Sheriff investigator yet but I understand from the owner of the scrap yard they have their correct names and a good address for one of them. Should I wait for the police report to add to certified letter? The tow company said they would tow it for 1/2 price ($100) I'm not sure if its worth the trouble if I'm only asking for $100. The truck has not been released yet so it is still sitting in a safe area of scrap yard. Thanks for your help.
mo
AnswerYou could wait to see what the report has on it and if there is any information that would benefit your case include it in the letter. As for the towing I would demand that they return the vehicle at no cost to you and demand a copy of the towing ticket where the vehicle was initially towed.
