Cajon Pass fire victims outraged about $1,600 towing fees: 'I didn't do anything illegal'

[Liberal_in_LA]

laura Caro thought the fire on the freeway in the Cajon Pass was bad. And then she got the bill for leaving her vehicle there.

Caro was driving her 80-year-old mother home from a doctor's appointment Friday when the North fire spread to Interstate 15 and started burning vehicles. On officers' orders, she left her SUV and fled, pushing her mom in a wheelchair through a smoky maze of stopped cars and frightened people.

Strangers gave them a lift, and Caro left her Ford Escape behind. When the Fontana resident went to get it from Gonzalez Tow in Hesperia, she was shocked: The company charged her $1,600, she said.

"It was just a nightmare," Caro said. "I didn't do anything illegal to have my car towed."

It was just a nightmare. I didn't do anything illegal to have my car towed.
- Laura Caro, who fled her vehicle during the fire
California Highway Patrol officials said Monday they were investigating numerous complaints about high towing fees from drivers who had to abandon their cars and flee for safety.

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0721-fire-tow-20150721-story.html

Gonzalez Tow's Facebook page was plastered during the weekend with comments about the fees, calling employees "thieves" and "bullies" and saying the company took advantage of victims.

[Control-Z]

1. State or county should pay the fees

after the bills have been adjusted to reasonable amounts.

[951-Riverside]

4. Those predatory towing companies like G&M Towing in Hesperia shouldn't get a cent

They preyed upon people in a desperate situation, pretended like they were doing it for free only to stick these people cars in an impound lot, they should be shamed out of business and lose their contracts with the state.

Gonzalez Tow did the right thing and waived all fees after a little pressure.

By the way, they need to be authorized by the state before taking impounding these vehicles from the freeway, if no one gave them authorization then they just committed grand theft.

[yeoman6987]

8. At the very least the insurance companies should pay

[Nuclear Unicorn]

10. Why should the insurance companies' customers have to pay? They did't do anything either.

[2naSalit]

2. Capitalism at its finest.

Or would that be opportunistic capitalism, the predatory kind?

[951-Riverside]

5. These predatory tow companies need authorization from the state before towing vehicles off...

the freeway.

I believe they use a lottery or rotation system, if any of these companies didnt have authorization then they pretty much stole these cars.

[2naSalit]

7. Wonder if the authority

to be called in includes a review of fees charged.

Looks like gauging to me. I now they have a lottery or rollodex system, lived in CA for many years and was a repo-person back in the day. They still charge outrageous fees.

[951-Riverside]

12. And don't they have to sign a form before towing cars?

I thought there are law or regulations in place that prevents any joker with a tow truck from showing up to the scene of an accident on public property and snatching up vehicles.

If that's the case then they have no right to charge any fees and they just committed grand theft (a felony).

[2naSalit]

16. Not my point.

I would like to know if the CHP knows the amount being charged to those who were forced to flee through no fault of their own... and if they condone the charges.

And maybe there were additional services called in due to the number of vehicles to be removed... regardless, there needs to be a review of these charges and some relief for those charged since many lost their vehicles (perhaps their only vehicle) in the event.

[951-Riverside]

18. If they took the cars without authorization then they committed theft. That was my point.

Let me be clear I am not dismissing your point in any way nor do I disagree with your point which is very much valid.

I'm just saying that you cannot steal people's property then charge a fee for them to recover it.

So for an example if they heard about it on the news and made the decision to drive up there and start snatching up cars without permission then they committed grand theft. California state law is very clear on this, towing companies cannot remove cars from the highway without authorization.

If that's what happened here then any fees are null and void.

OTOH, if the CHP signed off on each impound, I definitely see your point and fees should be addressed but from what I understand (and I have no news source to back this up) the CHP asked for volunteers to move vehicles to a lot off the freeway and a few of these jackasses like G&M Towing decided to impound cars instead.

[olddots]

3. Highway Robbery

tow truck organized crime . Fight it !!!!!!!!!

[lpbk2713]

6. It makes me have to wonder ...

Would it be worthwhile for law enforcement to look into whether the towing outfits might have any involvement in the origin of the fires? It certainly appears there is a profit to be made whenever there is a fire and smoke blocking the road.

[dembotoz]

9. On officers orders...she did not just abandon this is wrong

[Nuclear Unicorn]

11. Which means, unless this highly publicized case is resolved to the car owners' favor, people

might not obey the officers next time such a situation arises. That could put lives at risk.

[Vinca]

13. Wouldn't car insurance cover the towing?

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Probably, But Why?

She didn't park illegally. She was required to abandon the car. The insurance company shouldn't be liable either. And, if the towing company didn't gouge, then the fee would be small enough that the insurance company would pay out just a little.

On top of that, i didn't see why the cars were towed. If the road was closed, who was the car bothering? Looks like the towing company played opportunist and they should left on the hook for services rendered that weren't needed.

[Vinca]

20. I'm not saying the towing companies aren't greedy thieves, but the priority is getting the car out

of the impound and if an insurance company can make that happen faster, why not? There's plenty of time to file a small claims lawsuit against the towing company later.

[ProfessorGAC]

22. Makes Sense!

That's why we pay insurance companies, right? Let them fight over it.

[951-Riverside]

15. This is what these thieves are banking on

If I were the insurance company I would demand they prove authorization to remove these vehicles.

California Vehicle Code 22650 says:

It is unlawful for any peace officer or any unauthorized
person to remove any unattended vehicle from a highway to a garage or
to any other place, except as provided in this code.

(a) Those law enforcement and other agencies identified in this
chapter as having the authority to remove vehicles shall also have
the authority to provide hearings in compliance with the provisions
of Section 22852. During these hearings the storing agency shall have
the burden of establishing the authority for, and the validity of,
the removal.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prevent a review or
other action as may be permitted by the laws of this state by a
court of competent jurisdiction.

These opportunists shouldn't get a cent until they can prove authorization from the state. They also need to be on the rotation list before touching vehicles.

If G&M Towing took these vehicles without authorization and did it out of their rotation then they need to be charged with theft and lose their Towing Service Agreement contract with with state (if they even have one)

If they stole these vehicles then gouging isn't an issue here because they have no right to any fees after committing a crime.

[Blue_Tires]

23. +1

[Throd]

17. The towing industry is dominated by unethical scumbags.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. But the towing order was given by cops.

... oh, wait ...

Yep, unethical scumbags.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. Well it looks like the DU love-in for the predatory towing industry is over...

Funny.