Towing Issues: towing in louisville ky, proper paperwork, storage fees

Question
QUESTION: I have a 96 dodge intrepid that was towed from a parking lot...it sat there for less than 12 non business hours and was towed...I contacted the tow co and they stated they would not junk the car unless I paid them for the tow cost and storage fees...I contacted them the morning the car was towed and this was around aug 12th.....they refuse to give me any items from the car until i pay...the car is not worth repairing it was shooting fire from under the hood and ultimately died in the parking lot...the fee was $89 for the initial tow and 15 dollars a day....now they are threatening to take me to court....what should I do....

ANSWER: hate to say it, but as the vehicle owner you are responsible for towing and storage fees..

Yes that is the case with state law and you being the owner of the vehicle...  If you do not redeem it the tow company will file papers to gain a lien title to be able to dispose of it... When it is sold at auction or what ever method of disposal is used any difference in the fees it accrued verses the income from the sale is what you still owe...
That is what the tow company would go after you for in either court or by a collection agency...

Can you work it out with the tow company and give them the title to the vehicle and maybe pay part of the fees... Sometimes they will do that. After all it costs them more money to get the proper paperwork to dispose of the vehicle. That might be an option...



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I told them to junk the car...they are refusing to do so....there is a audio system in the car worth about 400-600 dollars they wont even let me get that out to sale to pay...I offered them the title they are being real asses about it...it isnt like i am trying to prevent them from disposing of the vehicle they are just not wanting to...

Answer
State laws also cover the proper methods to gain "title" and or what they have to do when they get given the title to the vehicle...


Now some companies also have "company policies" as to what they will accept including either things like the title only, or tile and some of the towing, or title and all the towing but not storage fees...

I really can not help much as some of it depends on the value of the vehicle and of course the reason for the tow in the first place...


In either manner though it does cost the tow company to do the tow and store it. And sometimes the cost is a hundred or more dollars in expenses before they even get to the storage lot...

Simply giving them the title to say a vehicle which will get them only $ 40 or so at the crusher is a money losing option and that is why they sometimes want more than just the title.