1 week Ago By Teresa Mettela
A DRIVER was defeated after a towing lot insisted on holding her vehicle hostage after a traumatic auto accident. Despite having the correct paperwork, the desperate driver was told a simple "plate issue" prevented her from retrieving the vehicle. The St.
Louis driver, Vivica Foxwell, said was was t-boned while driving her new Ford Edge, as reported by Fox affiliate KTVI . The vehicle was taken to the City Tow Division's lot where a representative told her they couldn't give it back unless she had permanent plates. "No! I can’t believe this is happening!" Foxwell exclaimed.
The driver was shocked that the lot wouldn't relinquish her vehicle even though she had all the right paperwork. Read More on Motors "Ever since then, I’ve been trying to get it released." Foxwell pointed out that her temporary tag would not expire until the end of the month so she should have been able to reclaim the Ford .
She confirmed her valid plates with pictures of her paperwork which were good until April 30, 2025. "There’s no violations or anything on the vehicle. It’s insured, of course," she said.
Most read in Motors After learning about the predicament, Streets Department Director Betherny Williams went to investigate. Williams believed that as long as the information on the plates was accurate then the driver should be able to reclaim her vehicle. "I would say if these things are current, then we should issue that vehicle back," she said.
"At no given time do we want to keep vehicles here." "And it’s always our goal at city tow and the police department to give people their vehicles back," she added. Williams discovered that the tow lot's computer system didn't register the car's valid temp license plate, causing the pick-up dilemma.
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 Instead, the system incorrectly registered it as a 30-day temporary tag. "Her tamp tag was current," Williams said, plainly.
After KTVI's interview went live, Foxwell got the problem fixed pretty quickly. "You’re good to go over there. She’s got a note into the lot saying you’re good to pick up your car," a city spokesperson said.
Read More on The US Sun Foxwell expressed her deep gratitude for the help in retrieving her vehicle. "Thank you, that is awesome! That is awesome!" she exclaimed..
