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Taikiteazy t1_jceukn0 wrote

I worked as a tow truck driver for a couple years. The easiest and cheapest thing to do is go to the tow company asap and sign over the car. They stop the storage fees. Worst case scenario for you, they charge max storage because you don't respond, they auction the remains and if there is still a balance you will get a bill.

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcf9qc7 wrote

Thank you man.

This is unrelated to this particular situation, but I do have a question for you; is it normal for a tow truck operator to demand cash (wouldn't accept any other form of payment) of 250$ "because it's already hooked up to my truck?" And tell me if I didn't get it in 30 minutes he was going to drive off with my car and I'd have to pay more to get it out of the tow yard? I had that happen to me once because I accidentally parked in the wrong spot at an apartment complex I used to live at. I've always wondered if the tow truck operator was swindling me and pocketed the cash himself. He seemed like a shady little mother fucker.

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Taikiteazy t1_jcgz8ur wrote

He was impounding it because he was called to do so by the property owner. He had every legal right to do that and did you a favor as he was not required by anything wait 30 minutes. I've done the same for people, because it saves them the storage fee that is a 12hr minimum (some places 24hr minimum) charge. Once a tow truck is hooked up to a car the tow truck driver is legally responsible for the vehicle until it is dropped off, if it is being impounded they can't legally just drop it back off, they will get fired and the tow company will get sued. That driver likely didn't pocket the cash, but a lot of driver are on commission (30-33% is normal) so he will get a chunk of it anyways.

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcgzhtx wrote

Fair enough. Wish my girlfriend at the time had woken me up sooner so I'd been able to get out there before he hooked it up to the truck lol.

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