A WOMAN has been hit with a hefty bill from a towing firm – just weeks after she lost her home and everything she owned in the highly-destructive Los Angeles wildfires.
Lisa Brounstein-Gaffney, an Altadena, California, resident, was told to pay out $587 for her towed vehicle after it was supposedly taken away for emergency access.
The LA wildfires devastated thousands of buildings across the city, with many lives tragically lost and nearly 200,000 residents forced to evacuate.
First erupting on January 7, the Palisades and Eaton fires burned for weeks and often overwhelmed firefighting efforts.
Thousands of residents have now been forced to rebuild their homes and their lives – with Gaffney being one of them.
However, she has since been hit with a new, unexpected financial burden.
Speaking to NBC News, she said: “I’m angry. I’m sad. I miss my life, my house. I miss the community.
“Some of the things we had were very valuable but the things that have no value are like the gut punch.
“Finally our mail started getting forwarded to the PO box and I got this bill that the car has been towed and they are going to charge us $587 for the two and $71 a day for storage and we need to deal with that.”
Days before receiving the bill, Gaffney reported the 1998 Toyota Camry to her insurance company as they had taken over the car.
She added: “I reached out to AAA and the guy I was dealing with is no longer there so what am I supposed to do? It’s not my car.
“Plus what was I supposed to do? Go pick up the car with a dolly? There was no way I was going to drive the car away.”
She now believes she was the victim of a tow-truck scam and contacted the police immediately, who informed her that the California Highway Patrol had been towing cars to make roads accessible for utility workers.
The California Highway Patrol had been authorized to do the work, according to Kathryn Barger, LA County Supervisor.
Thankfully, Gaffney’s insurance has stepped in to cover the costs.
Gaffney said: “It’s ridiculous that something punitive like this would happen during such a horrible time.
“People on the outside don’t know what it is that we’re going through.
“We all need Grace and we all need people to be gentle with us because we’re doing the best we can really.”
Barger’s office urges people in similar situations to apply to the LA County Relief Fund for financial help related to fires, with application period closing on March 12.
This comes as a furious dad has been forced to pay thousands to get his stolen car back after cops failed to tell him it had been found.
Andrew Passie, from Maryland, watched as thieves sped off with his car in November.
He was then left in limbo for months while waiting for an update and finally checked in with the police himself.
He was then shocked to discover his car had been recovered more than two months earlier – but he says no one told him.
The car had then racked up impound fees at $20 a day, leaving him with a staggering $2,040 bill to get it back.
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial. Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail. Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative. Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle. Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better. Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state. Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly. Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases. Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
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