QuestionQUESTION: I live in Moorefield, West Virginia, and I recently had car trouble and had to leave my car at the bottom of a large hill because it didn't have the power to get back up it. My brother got it up the hill while I was at school, but then it stalled and it was stuck between two small hills so they had to leave it partially in the road.
Our house was not even 100 yards away, and the car was only sitting there for not even 5 hours and then we were going to try to move it when I got home, but the Sheriff towed it because it was apparently partially in the road. They towed it right out of my own neighborhood without any notice or warning, the impound lot they're keeping it at is barely a mile and a half down the road from our house, yet they're charging 75.00 JUST to get it out of the lot. Is this legit?
ANSWER: Well I hate to sound a bit sarcastic here, but I have to ask a few questions here...
The vehicle was partially blocking the roadway, and as such is considered a traffic hazard..
Now what would of happened if the vehicle would of been hit by another vehicle and someone was injured or killed... Do you think you would be held liable for the damages or injuries due to the fact that it was partially in the roadway...
Nothing in any rules say that a vehicle can be left in a roadway even by 1 inch or one whole car width..
It was (by your admission) left there and before 5 hours passed it was towed... How long do you think that it should of been left in a potentially dangerous location ?
One side note here, what about the risk that the sheriff and tow truck driver took while they were there working in traffic to protect your vehicle from the possibility of further damage..
Now as to the towing company charging for the service, I know that in some areas the fee for towing is regulated by state or city laws, and be it towed 3 feet or 20 miles it is the same fee.
Now as to warnings, what kind of warning do you think they should of done, a letter to you mailed ?
Or you think that they should of left the vehicle there and spent lots of time and effort to try and track you down where ever you were at such as school, home, or work?
But I am sorry that you got towed and sorry you have to pay for getting it back. But tow companies are private business "who do jobs at the request of taxpayer supported public safety departments"
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QUESTION: It was barely in the road. My brother risked damaging my car by pushing it into a ditch to get it OUT of the road. It is on a private road, out of town, where there is very little traffic. And I have to pay 75.00 because I don't have the strength to push 1500 pounds up a hill? And a notice such as "this car will be towed in 24 hours if not moved?"
The tow truck driver and Sheriff weren't working in traffic. The road gets an average of 4-5 cars an hour. That isn't traffic. And they were in clear sight from anyone approaching from any direction.
And yes, they could have spent more time trying to find out why the car was there. I didn't have the resources to move it, and they could have towed it 100 yards to my house instead of towing it two miles away and charging 75.00 for it. You talk like the car was sitting sideways in the middle of the road. The rear light was the most that was in the road.
AnswerI am sorry for what you feel is not a good answer but I was not there, I did not see the vehicle, I do not know what kind of road it was on or how much traffic was there...
I ONLY HAVE TO GO ON WHAT IS PROVIDED TO ME for answering..
Now if they did find out who owned the vehicle, why it was there and all that, was anyone there at the house to tell there to tow it home, or to pay for the tow truck to do such?
100 yards is 300 feet, could you see the house from the vehicle ?
I am not trying to place blame on you, or the tow truck driver or the sheriff... It is just that everyone seems to think that vehicles when broke down or illegally parked should be left there, or that the tow company should work for free...
One question I have is when the car originally broke down, was there anyone who could of come down with another vehicle and by using a rope, strap or chain pulled the vehicle back to your house?
Or could you have called the tow company to tow the vehicle back home for you. Granted this would cost money.
Sorry I can not provide you with the answers you want, but you seem to want someone else to pay for the towing fee. That is what it seems like to me, but expenses like this are part of owning a vehicle..
Guess this means I will receive bad feedback from you but remember this is a VOLUNTEER BOARD and as such I try to help people with questions to the best of my ability given what I am provided.
