QuestionI had my car repoessed, due to my own fault, on a sunday afternoon. Nobody came to the door...they just backed in and snagged it.
I had my truck full of personal items as well as trailer equipment, anti sway bar, load equilizers and hitches in the bed of the truck.
I called the towing company and asked that i be permitted to come down to their yard and remove my personal items from the truck. The lady on the phone asked "you have personal items in there?", as if it was a big supprise to her. I was polite and answered yes and i was concerned about them and wanted them in my poession.
I had to set an appointment with them, as i did, and was then informed that there was a $40.00 one time access fee to the yard and also a $10.00 a day personal item storage fee involved. It is costing me $80.00 just to take the things i could have removed when they picked it up. I was never given the chance to remove my personal items from the vehicle when it was towed. I think this charge is very unfair! If one is not given the opportunity to remove their items before it is impounded, i don't see how they can charge for storing them.
This is a southern california towing company located in menifee.
While i have been very professional with them, as it is not their fault it was towed, i find this situation totally unfair to the person that had their car towed.
Their reasoning for sneaking around and towing vehicles was told to me as "we don't like confrontations with the owners when trying to hook them up". I can believe there are some people that would argue with the tow driver, but that is the business THEY chose to get into, nobody forced them to become recovery people. Give the public a dang chance and play above board.
There should be some law against "snagging" a vehicle without trying to notify the owner that it is about to happen.
AnswerI really have no idea what to suggest or tell you to do...
First of all, if it was repo'ed you had to know it was going to happen. After all if you did not make the payments then they most likely called and maybe sent letters to you...
But as to the items, you should be able to get them but a lot of times there are charges for it...
Now as to the laws, there are lots of laws regarding repo operations, but they vary from state to state. So I really do not know which ones apply to you, without knowing the state you are in.
Now I am going rant a bit, but yes they "chose to be a tow company" BUT "you chose to not pay the bill" and as such face the problems that created...
Sorry for the attitude, but you brought it on yourself...
************* FOLLOW UP ******************
Ok I missed the California part, I am sorry...
YES I am a "tow truck driver" BUT I do commercial towing, not repo's Most companies who do repo's strictly do them, and not other towing..
If you were in Bankruptcy (BK), then there are other actions and laws which affect this issue.. I would consult with your attorney on what could be done...
But as a general rule, sneaking around is the normal way they are done.
