A DRIVER has had a tough time after her car was illegally towed from the front of her home.
To this day, the woman has never seen her car again and is not the only victim of vehicle theft.
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In January, Kansas City, Missouri resident Kernisha Lanar was the victim of her car being illegally towed.
A man in a black pickup truck roams the streets of Missouri, posing as a tow truck driver.
“It’s crazy, it’s crazy,” Lanar told the NBC affiliate KCTV.
“Just giving it to God, to be honest.”
Lanar went on to say that it has been “difficult” for her since her car was stolen.
“It’s been difficult, to be honest. Not knowing if I’m going to work or home.”
Lanar has filed a police report and hopes that if others know of any leads, they will speak up.
“He needs to be caught,” she told the outlet.
“If anyone knows who is doing this, they also need to say something.”
Likewise, Lanar is not the only one who has had his car stolen in the Kansas City area.
Amber, a resident of Missouri, also had her car stolen by the same truck two months ago.
She revealed that other people had spotted the fake tow truck before.
“I saw several other posts about it. People sent me messages; they saw them here, they saw them there.”
KNOW MY RIGHTS
Similarly, San Francisco resident Sammy Hallaq recalled when his car was illegally towed from a store parking lot in 2019.
Specialty Towing towed Hallaq’s car and refused to return it when requested by the owner.
“I told them to release it immediately because the car was still in the parking lot,” Hallaq said. KQED.
“If you catch them in the act and ask them to release the car, by law, they have to release it and only charge the connection fee.
What to do if your car is towed
Unfairly or not, recovering 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 some steps you can take to get it back.
Steps to follow when your car is towed:
- Try to find out why your car was towed. Haven’t you seen a “No Parking” sign? Did you miss your car payment? Have you returned to a lot where there were unpaid citations? Finding the reason may narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some type of contact information via a posted or mailed sign.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but these times will be posted on the website or may be provided by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as quick as possible, as some towing yards may charge per-day storage fees.
If you believe your vehicle was improperly towed, you can dispute the action by following these steps:
- Be quick – many states have a small window of time in which it is acceptable to file a claim against a company that improperly towed your vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements, if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws, as laws for towing companies vary by state.
- Try talking to the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact your local Justice of the Peace as they may have more information or resources to help. They are often used for towing cases.
- Speak to a lawyer. Many lawyers offer free consultations and, depending on the case, it may be worth calling on a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak law firm
“They refused and left.”
Additionally, Hallaq went to pick up his vehicle but was sent to the wrong location.
After making several calls, the California resident got his car back and was charged $504.
Hallaq finally investigated the company and took matters into his own hands for his mistakes.
No lawyer took his case, but he remained persistent.
“I like to stand my ground. But I also believe I’m doing community service. They’re a threat to society.”
Their investigation led to the company’s owners, José Badillo and Abigail Fuentes, being charged with 18 felonies three years later.
Fuentes was charged with 12 and Badillo with six, including theft and misappropriation of public funds.
They pleaded not guilty to all charges. In the end, the two had their license to operate in the city of San Francisco revoked for five years.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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