A towing company has been found guilty of overcharging customers for short-distance connections – the owner’s bond was set at up to $25,000.
Among 27 clients, the high fees totaled more than $100,000.
Hunter Sessi had his car towed to an auto body shop after an accident and the tow truck driver wanted the shop to sign for the vehicle.
Sessi’s vehicle was taken to a different lot after the repair shop refused to sign for it and the towing company refused to release the vehicle until someone paid the bill.
The bill was in the thousands for a short distance tow.
“He stole a lot of money from us and put us through a difficult situation,” Sessi told the NBC affiliate WPXI-TV.
“So our auto shop went to pick up the car and Vince was insuring the car for about $10,000 for a tow that was less than a mile.”
Last year, a customer reported a $4,250 bill for “accident services.”
His insurance company was billed $11,390.
An investigation by District Attorney Henry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found that between February 2023 and February 2024, 27 customers were charged between $7,000 and up to $13,105 for a short-distance tow.
“This defendant allegedly preyed on consumers who were already in stressful situations, first by hiding costs by requesting invoice signatures, then by inflating prices for short towing jobs,” Henry said.
“Predatory and deceptive business practices will not be tolerated in the Commonwealth, and business owners who harm consumers to line their pockets will be held accountable.”
Fannick’s method was to not reveal full prices on invoices while charging customers “accident service fees.”
In November 2023, Emily Burton suffered a serious accident, became unconscious and had to be towed seven-tenths of a mile.
A company driver took his BMW to a store and Burton was surprised when he received the bill for the tow.
It cost $11,780 — and Fannick refused to release her car until every penny was paid.
“You’re taking advantage of someone when they’re vulnerable,” Burton told the CBS affiliate KDKA-TV.
“I was confused. I didn’t know what I was doing, and then you’re charging me $11,000 to go less than a mile.”
I do everything by the book. All OK. The winches went through the roof, the gas, the insurance, what about the risk? This is not cheap. Shouldn’t I get paid?
Vicente Fannick
Unfortunately, as Pittsburgh Sgt. Detective Thomas Huerbin said there isn’t much police can do because the city has not placed caps on towing fees on towing companies.
“[Fannick] understands our feelings about what the fees are and the short distances he travels and charges vehicles,” Huebrin said.
“But there’s nothing we can do about it independently.”
Fannick, however, shows no sign of remorse for his actions.
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 daily 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
“It’s justified what I’m doing,” Fannick said.
“I do everything by the book. Everything is legal. The tow trucks exploded, the gas, the insurance, what about the risk? This isn’t cheap. Shouldn’t I get paid?”
The investigation found that Vince’s towing price inflation dates back to 2021.
His hearing is scheduled to begin on May 3.
Until then, he is in jail with bail set at $25,000.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
