Victimized Twice!?

[fan_of_small_world]

Obviously, you misread my last post. I said I would be THANKING the car thieves.
And there are always secondary means of transportation. We may not like them; they may be inconvenient... but they do exist.
The victim can always get a replacement car, either new or used.

As I can't believe the blame-the-city mentality of this thread.

I think you missed the point of my posts.

 

[bicker]

Ok, so running on that way of thinking, if my child is kidnapped and I report that my child was kidnapped, when the child is found with a black eye the police should assume that 1) I did the abusing, 2) not call me, 3) take her to a hospital, then charge me with an ambulance ride and ER bill without asking if I had insurance, and finally 4) put her in protective custody.

Actually, I think the answer is "yes", but I don't think that's relevant. Abandonment of a motor vehicle is specifically defined in state law. It's not an arbitrary application of the dictionary word "abandonment" -- it's a very specifically-defined violation.

Regardless, when a young child is found alone and abused, the police will always operate from the assumption that the abuse was committed by a family member until they've determined otherwise. Regarding the price of the ambulance ride and the ER bill, yes, a parent is responsible for any bills incurred on their child's behalf.

 

[trulygoofy]

All this hoopla over a 13 year old car?!?! Good grief, if this were me, I'd be sending the thieves a thank you card!

That is a 1994 vehicle. We just sold our 1994 Suburban and it was a great vehicle that looked great on the inside and out. We would have kept it, but it was and extra vehicle we just didn't need anymore. The people who bought it loved it and I'm sure they would be upset if it was stolen. Not everyone can afford a new car, and some like the cars they have and don't want to waste their money just to buy something new.
One of the main problems I have with the story is that the towing company gives the city $20 every time they are called to tow a vehicle. Maybe this is common practice, but sounds like a conflict of interest to me. I feel bad for her.

 

[Charade]

Why is it the police dept. responsiblity to call her in the first place? Are they now required to check out every abandoned car, try to determine who the owner is, spend time contacting them to give them first crack at removing the car?

Yes!!!

They should first run the VIN and check the status of the car and it's owner BEFORE towing it! If the owner cannot be found or contacted within, say 24 hours, then tow it. Then the 30 days can kick in for disposal by the towing company.

That IS fair to everyone.

 

[bicker]

I don't believe it is right to leave the car for 24 hours. That's not fair to the neighborhood. I think an hour or two notice would be appropriate.

 

[car55]

I wouldnt get too mad at the Police Dept. Once it was determined the car was stolen they tow them quickly. Rember the car is evidence. It also protects the car from further damage and theft. I had a stolen car dumped in front of my house early one morning. It is amazing how fast the thieve's dumped it (less than a munute) The police arrived quickly and stayed with the car until is was towed. I'm sorry for the grief this lady is going through. It is terrible to have a car stolen. And to the car thieve's. SHAME ON YOU!

 

[cardaway]

Yes!!!

They should first run the VIN and check the status of the car and it's owner BEFORE towing it! If the owner cannot be found or contacted within, say 24 hours, then tow it. Then the 30 days can kick in for disposal by the towing company.

That IS fair to everyone.

I agree. Anything less is absurd.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Absolutely, and I feel no one should begrudge the woman her unhappiness at being the victim of this unfortunate circumstance. Let's keep in mind the "bad guy" here, though, is the thief.

I completely agree with you...it is the criminal who in the wrong. The victim in this case was robbed of her car. Whether the city exacerbated the problem remains to be seen, and it looks like this will be decided in a court of law.

I will admit that I am not familiar with the law when it concerns what happens when someone has stolen your property and causes harm with it. If the city was following their laws, then fine. I may not agree with it, but I do respect it. However, if there was corruption going on behind the scene that caused additional charges to be incurred by the victim, then that must be addresses. Obviously, I don't know the whole story, so it would be impossible for me to pass judgement.

 

[Mr. Malaprop]

Yes!!!

They should first run the VIN and check the status of the car and it's owner BEFORE towing it! If the owner cannot be found or contacted within, say 24 hours, then tow it. Then the 30 days can kick in for disposal by the towing company.

That IS fair to everyone.

24 hours?

I am guessing you don't live in or near a large city where abandoned cars are a problem. The vast majority of the time the owners deliberately abandoned the car. Sometimes it can be a traffic hazard.

Most cities are not equipped for this type of "customer service work." If you want that type of service, you can certainly purchase it. I believe it's called a Lo Jack system.

 

[shirleyb]

And there are always secondary means of transportation. We may not like them; they may be inconvenient... but they do exist.

Really?? Not where I live or work. No public busses in my town.

 

[lindalinda]

I didnt read the whole thread, but heres a problem we have had in my town. The towing company (under contract with the city), would drive around and find cars that were "illegally" parked. No official police involvement. They would then tow the cars, and the same situation as described would happen. When you even found out where the car was it was difficult. (it seemed they wanted more cash, so they would be vague in how to find your car). You had absolutely no recourse in whether you were actually guilty of the claim that you were illegally parked. This went on for years and the city ignored complaints. Eventually, someone important enough to make a difference was towed, and the city ended up suing the towing co, and criminal charges of theft and deception were brought against the owner. He fled town and never appeared in court.

 

[Mr. Malaprop]

Really?? Not where I live or work. No public busses in my town.

Taxis, rental cars (Enterprise will pick you up!), friends, neighbors or family, bikes, or even walking. There are always options... you just have to be open to them.

 

[diznygirl]

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.

Then if the car owner is still responsible the owner should be contacted when it's recovered and the owner should be responsible for the recovery of the vehicle.

I'm glad you agree with me that the city's procedure here is flawed.

 

[robinb]

I have no problem with the city towing the car without notifying the owner. The city has a responsibility to clear non-working and abandoned cars from the streets. A city of 125,000 people really can't wait around to see if the owner of a stolen and stripped car will take care of it themselves. In addition, I don't think that the towing fee of $95 is even that outrageous.

My problem is with the towing company. It seems like Tracey Crawley did her best to work with them, but they refused to accept the car title in return for their incredibly high fees which now total close to $700. They remind me of the Lincoln Park Pirates in Chicago:

LINCOLN PARK PIRATES
Steve Goodman


The streetlamps are on in Chicago tonight,
And lovers a'gazin' at stars;
The stores are all closin', and Daley is dozin',
And the fat man is counting the cars...
And there's more cars than places to put 'em, he says,
But I've got room for them all;
So 'round 'em up boys, 'cause I want some more toys,
In the lot by the grocery store...

To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down.

We break into cars when we gotta,
With hammer and pickaxe and saw;
And they said this garage had no license;
But little care I for the law!
Our drivers are friendly and courteous;
Their good manners you always will get;
'Cause they all are recent graduates
Of the charm school in Joliet.

To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down.

And when all the cars are collected,
And all of their fenders are ruined,
Then I'll tow all the boats in Belmont Harbor
To the Lincoln Park Lagoon;
And when I've collected the ransom,
And sunk all the ones that won't yield;
I'll tow all the planes that are blocking the runways
At Midway, O'Hare, and Meigs Field!

To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
Now citizens, gather around,
And I think it's enough, let's call his bluff,
Let's throw the bum out of town!

 

[car55]

Taxis, rental cars (Enterprise will pick you up!), friends, neighbors or family, bikes, or even walking. There are always options... you just have to be open to them.

Your post brings up a good example of how inconvenienced the victim of this crime is.

 

[Mr. Malaprop]

I don't deny that the person was the victim of a crime by the car thieves. I wouldn't deny that this will be a major inconvenience. However, I do not agree that she is a victim twice because of what the city did. That proposition is simply absurd.

 

[Chuck S]

I think the towing and storage is pretty standard in most medium to large cities, they don't notify the vehicle owners until the property is "secured"...they don't let it sit there for 24 hours waiting for a tow.

Is this inconvenient for the owner who had the car stolen, yep, it is...is it "wrong", I don't think so. The vehicle owner could have carried insurance to pay the tow and storage, which probably would simply have totaled a 13 yo car rather than repair it. As far as denying her the access to personal property, I do think she should have been allowed to collect her belongings, but other than that the city acted appropriately.

 

[User Name]

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!

It's not just Hartford.

Imagine having your house broken into, and your valuables stolen and your home ransacked. Then, the police tell you it's YOUR fault because you should've had a better alarm system. THEN, they charge you $50 for the police report you need to give to the insurance company.

Exactly WHAT are my taxes for?!?

 

[Philadisney]

what a mess! all that 'red tape' is ridiculous.

 

[mytwotinks]

I don't believe it is right to leave the car for 24 hours. That's not fair to the neighborhood. I think an hour or two notice would be appropriate.

But that wouldn't matter if it was the city's policy right? Because as you said earlier if it is policy it isn't about being fair in each situation, it's about strictly following policy (in my words not yours).

I don't quite understand how you can make this argument for the "neighborhood" when it seems as if your whole point is "life is not fair."

I mean, isn't the neighborhood a victim too. Shouldn't they have to accept the fact that they may have cars abandoned in them?