DRIVERS risk losing their cars forever thanks to a 100-year-old rule that allows vehicles to be towed away and sold inside just 15 days.
Motorists in Connecticut face a bizarre rule that’s over a century old that allows their cars to be hauled away and then sold – unless they can convince the Department of Motor Vehicles that the vehicle is worth $1,500 or more.
According to a report by Propublica, car owners in the state have just 15 days to hand over their proof – otherwise their set of wheels is sold off.
The publication’s research found that the 15-day timescale is one of the shortest in the US, with only North Carolina and Iowa allowing tow companies to sell cars more quickly.
But that’s a long way away from the likes of Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island – who all don’t let a towing company sell off a car for at least 60 days.
What’s worse is that the 15-day rule only applies to cars that the towing company claims are worth $1,500 or less – meaning its low-income drivers who are hit hardest.
One such instance saw a cash-strapped mother left seething after her car was towed from her home within five minutes of her going inside.
Melissa Anderson’s 1998 Dodge Neon was towed from her apartment complex in Hamden, New Haven County, Connecticut, in December 2021 when she quickly ran upstairs to put a winter coat on her toddler daughter.
Anderson, who told ProPublica that her temporary parking pass from her apartment complex had recently expired, could hear her neighbor yelling to the tow truck driver, “She’s coming right now.”
The mother had tried to get an extension on her parking pass, arguing with her apartment complex that her appointment to register her car with the DMV was in two days.
However, by the time Anderson was able to wrestle her 2-year-old daughter into her coat and run back downstairs, her vehicle was gone.
And because of the state’s little-known road law, Anderson’s Dodge – which was estimated to cost $600 – was approved by the DMW to be sold by the tow company.
However, under Connecticut law, tow companies must hold on to the proceeds for one year so owners can claim the money.
After that, towing companies are supposed to subtract their storage fees and turn over any remaining funds to the state.
However, the state’s DMV has never established a process for tow companies to submit the money, and the state treasurer’s office has no record of receiving any money from the sale of a towed car.
This comes as drivers who choose to park in a popular downtown area in Dublin, Georgia, are about to face much stricter punishments if they don’t leave on time.
Not only will cars be towed, but drivers will also be slapped with at least a $175 fine to retrieve them.
And another driver was left fuming after being slapped with a hefty $825 bill – for parking at his own home.
Residents of the Jefferson Apartments in Detroit, Michigan, claim they had no idea they were supposed to be parking in specific sections in the building’s parking garage.
They claim the apartment did not provide notice about moving their cars – instead charging them hundreds of dollars after their cars were towed away.
Darryl Woods was just one of several tenants who were hit by the bizarre ruling, which saw his SUV taken away.
He said: “This is predatory, this is unacceptable, and this is outright wrong and we as citizens of the city of Detroit should not stand for this.”
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