Victimized Twice!?

[DawnCt1]

I can't pull up a link but on the front page of the Hartford Courant today;

Tracey Crawley was shopping with her son at a Manchester, Ct parkade. While there, her 13 year old Chysler Concorde was stolen. The good news? the Hartford Police found it, up on blocks, wheels stolen. The bad news? They didn't call her so she could call AAA where it could have been towed for free, they called their contract tower, Reno Auto Body who kicks back $20 to town hall for pick ups. The car, without its wheels is basically worthless. The immediate fees were $95. $25 per day acrue after that. She had no theft insurance. To access her belongings in the car, she offerred the towing company the title. The didn't want it. They wouldn't even let her see the car until her lawyer (pro bono) showed up. After 30 days they dispose of the car, contents an all. She will also be taken to small claims court. The police have denied her appeals and it will soon be heard by the Towed Vehicle Hearing Officer. Her lawyers contend that the storage fee is just one of the unconstitutional and immoral aspects of the city's policy. The are representing her for free in Federal Court. "It is unconstitutional deprevation of property". Finally I found the link;
http://www.courant.com/news/local/columnists/hc-gombossy,0,1228354.columnist
I think the city and its contractors should focus more on those who are derelict in their duty of taking care of their vehicles so they aren't abandoned and give a break to the person who is unfortunate enough to become a victim of crime and then again, a victim of the bureaucracy!

 

[Charade]

Wow! That's just so wrong!

 

[KristiKelly]

 

[bicker]

It is hard to treat every incident on a case by case basis -- that calls into question the fairness and even-handedness of whatever officials do. They have to set forth what the procedures are, and then follow them without exception, even if that means occasionally someone gets the short-end of the stick. That's good input into improving the procedures for the future, though. However, in the immediate, officials need to just do their jobs as best as can reasonably be expected, even if that means incidents like this one occur.

 

[DawnCt1]

It is being ROBBED twice! Once by the original perpetrators and once by the City of Hartford. The thing is, they will both get away with it!

 

[Mr. Malaprop]

If they begin making an exception for this case, where do they stop? Everyone whose car is towed has a sob story. Who decides which sob story is true or not?

 

[Oreo Cookie]

That's just wrong, and yes she was victimized twice. The police need to change their procedures. Not all situations are the same, and they knew the car was stolen. How much extra work would it have been for them to call her first, and see if she wanted to arrange her own towing, I think that would have been 5 minutes.

I don't even understand not letting her see her car without a lawyer, WTH! And now all of those fees, somethings gotta change.

 

[bicker]

I feel for the officials. They're in a tough spot, getting accused of nastiness, just for doing their job. (The lawyer called it "immoral" -- Why can't they just keep things real, instead of trying to sensationalize things to make them sound more important than they really are?) It sure would be nice if we had financially-strong municipal governments, where things like this would never happen, but I don't think I'd want to pay the taxes necessary to support such a self-correcting machine.

 

[DawnCt1]

If they begin making an exception for this case, where do they stop? Everyone whose car is towed has a sob story. Who decides which sob story is true or not?

First of all, it is a serious offense to file a false police report. She reported her car stolen. Secondly, is it likely that she also stole her own wheels and tires? I would guess that if you reported your car stolen you wouldn't have to prove it. Your word, that you don't have your car when you had it before you went into the mall might be all that is required. So then, after your car is stolen and then recovered, is it really plausable that you put it where it was found, in Hartford on blocks? Seems simple enough and to me, this isn't a sob story. Its intentional deprivation of property from someone who has already been victimized.

 

[shirleyb]

Wow, this is so wrong, and I can't believe people are defending the city.

 

[diznygirl]

There doesn't need to be an exception in this case. There needs to be a change in the procedure. Once the car is found, the owner should be notified and the owner can take whatever action they feel is appropriate. Every effort should be made to return stolen property to the rightful owners ASAP.

 

[DawnCt1]

I feel for the officials. They're in a tough spot, getting accused of nastiness, just for doing their job. (The lawyer called it "immoral" -- Why can't they just keep things real, instead of trying to sensationalize things to make them sound more important than they really are?) It sure would be nice if we had financially-strong municipal governments, where things like this would never happen, but I don't think I'd want to pay the taxes necessary to support such a self-correcting machine.

In this case this city government is so cumbersome that there isn't even anyone to appeal to? Even the mayor doesn't seem to have any recourse. It sounds like a bunch of people who can't make a decision on behalf of someone who has already been victimized. The towing company has way too much power and they have been given that power by the the City of Hartford who obviously can't or won't reign them in. More money isn't the answer. The answer is curtailing an abuse of power that has been wrongly delegated.

 

[DawnCt1]

Wow, this is so wrong, and I can't believe people are defending the city.

Me neither. It baffles me.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

That's just wrong. The police, knowing it was stolen, could have called her once they found it and then she would have called AAA.

 

[MzDiz]

If they begin making an exception for this case, where do they stop? Everyone whose car is towed has a sob story. Who decides which sob story is true or not?

Uhh, you're, uh, not paying attention, are you? It's not really a sob story when everything is clearly documented. If your house was broken into, you'd have your insurance pay for it, right? What if they told you that they couldn't, because people misplace televisions and antique silver every day?

 

[bicker]

Car owners are responsible for their vehicles at all times. It is an obligation that isn't affected by having the car stolen. If a car is stolen, and something happens due to the car owner's negligence, for example, the car owner is still substantially responsible, even though the car owner didn't give permission to the thief to steal the car.

This is a good reason for people to lock their doors, take their keys, install alarm systems and Lo Jack tracking systems.

 

[bicker]

Wow, this is so wrong, and I can't believe people are defending the city.

I can't believe people are attacking the city.

 

[Mr. Malaprop]

Oh wahh... my car was stolen and left abandoned and stripped. I should be so entitled to special treatment -- apart from everyone else who just drops off their junkers in the street and abandons them -- because I am a victim.

Most city towing companies operate the same way. They see an obviously abandoned car; they tow it. I don't believe the police should be wasting their time trying to track down the owners of abandoned cars, especially ones with no wheels, to find owners. There are more important things they should be doing.

This just contributes to the ongoing "victimization" of America. Well, cry me a river, folks.

 

[MzDiz]

Car owners are responsible for their vehicles at all times. It is an obligation that isn't affected by having the car stolen. If a car is stolen, and something happens due to the car owner's negligence, for example, the car owner is still substantially responsible, even though the car owner didn't give permission to the thief to steal the car.

This is a good reason for people to lock their doors, take their keys, install alarm systems and Lo Jack tracking systems.

Right, Yes. She really should have quit her job to listen to the police scanner all day and night to listen for her car being found. I can totally see how this is negligence on her part.

 

[DawnCt1]

Car owners are responsible for their vehicles at all times. It is an obligation that isn't affected by having the car stolen. If a car is stolen, and something happens due to the car owner's negligence, for example, the car owner is still substantially responsible, even though the car owner didn't give permission to the thief to steal the car.

This is a good reason for people to lock their doors, take their keys, install alarm systems and Lo Jack tracking systems.

She probably did lock her doors but do you really expect that someone who is driving an 13 year old car should have to "install alarm systems and Lo Jack"? Maybe that is not in her budge?
How about the thief being primarily and substantially responsible? This is another example of BIG GOVERNMENT run amok and running over the very people who they are in place to serve.