QuestionQUESTION: Can you suggest some potentially successful ways of negotiating with the tow company to reduce fees? Pickup out of gas, parked alongside road, when returned, had been towed. "Storage" charges are $50/DAY! That works out to about $1,500/mo for about 120 sq ft of storage dirt. OUTRAGEOUS! Tow charges plus "storage" are up to around $1,400. PLUS whatever the local police (Calistoga, CA) charge for a "release." I'm told that tow yards will often settle for around $500. Suggestions?
ANSWER: If the police impounded the vehicle then your best bet is to call the towing company and just see if they can waive some of the fees. How long has the vehicle been in storage? Is the lot fenced, you mentioned 120 sq ft of dirt?
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QUESTION: Haven't been to the lot, think it's fenced. 120 sq ft is the footprint of the pickup, which is parked on dirt. Have contacted the tow company, they are VERY uncooperative. Tow/storage fees are nearly $2,000, beginning to exceed the value of the truck. They say they have no responsibility to even post a public notice of a lien sale, they can just take the truck. I suspect they and the local city and who knows who else may be making carbon credit money on this.
AnswerYou should have already gotten the vehicle out of storage and worried about the fees later. The more it adds up the harder it is to get the vehicle out. California law only allows law enforcement to impound a vehicle left on a roadway if it is left for a long period of time or if it is a danger to traffic? I would contact an attorney if you feel that the vehicle was left in a safe location and if you went right back.
