‘Punished for eternity’ screams driver as car is towed for unpaid fines – debt automatically doubles before she can pay

A DRIVER complained after a dozen parking fines continued to snowball into thousands of dollars in unpaid debts.

She said she received several parking tickets for parking her car on city streets. Eventually, the unpaid fines led city authorities to tow his car.

two

Los Angeles resident Lesley Turner said she has received numerous parking tickets in an op-ed with the Los Angeles Times in 2023.

Turner, a widow and single mother, said she was “one disaster away from poverty” before she received any parking tickets.

She said she moved to the city in her used Jeep Cherokee in 2021.

The SUV received several fines – a $63 fine for failing to move the vehicle, for example.

Other fines ranged from $50 to nearly $100.

“My limited income was so tight that I simply didn’t have the money to pay them,” she wrote.

Eventually, the fines were replaced with a warning classifying his car as “defaulted” on payments.

Turner said she discovered her vehicle was towed by the city the day her daughter’s school reported a medical emergency.

“Now that my car has been towed, I feel more like Sisyphus,” she said, referring to the fictional character from Homer’s Iliad.

“[I was] punished for all eternity for never being able to place that stone on top of the hill.”

Turner said she called the city department’s traffic division — the agency told her she owed more than $3,000.

After incurring additional storage fees after the tow, she said the fines increased to nearly $6,000.

“In order for my car to be released from impound, I am required to pay in full all fines to the DMV, as well as fees accrued by the towing company,” she wrote.

She said authorities notified her that her car would be put up for sale if she didn’t pay.

Overall, Turner argued that parking punishment was an indictment of the city’s poor residents.

As the city continually racked up fines on impoverished residents, drivers continued to miss payments and owe more.

Plus, the city doesn’t generate additional revenue from fines if drivers can’t pay them, she added.

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

However, in March 2023, a proposed bill passed the Assembly Transportation Committee that would eliminate “poverty towing” in the state.

The bill would eliminate “the authority to tow or immobilize a vehicle for five or more unpaid parking tickets and would increase the number of unpaid tickets that prevent people from renewing their vehicle registration from one to six,” according to a press release from bill sponsor, Assembly Member Ash Kalra.