A MAN triggered a criminal investigation of a towing company after a blatantly illegal tow – so the owners were charged with 18 offences.
The company also sent it to the wrong pickup location and tried to charge more than $500.
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Sammy Hallaq spotted a tow truck trying to remove his 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser from the Foods Co. parking lot in San Francisco in 2019.
The tow truck driver allegedly violated city law when Hallaq requested he drop off the vehicle and refused.
“I told them to release it right away because the car was still in the parking lot,” he 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. They refused and left.”
When Hallaq tried to get his car back, the company allegedly sent it to the wrong location.
After he discovered the correct location, he was reportedly turned away because it was the weekend.
He made several phone calls and finally got his Toyota back, and was charged $504, he told the outlet.
Hallaq told KQED the employee pressured him to pay cash, but he refused.
The act sparked a fire in Hallaq and he launched his own investigation into the company owners who took his car.
“I started researching laws related to towing and realized there are violations everywhere,” Hallaq told the outlet.
Owners Jose Badillo and Abigail Fuentes own three towing companies in San Francisco: Auto Towing, Jose’s Towing and Specialty Towing & Recovery.
An expert tow truck driver went viral earlier this year when he tried to tow a Toyota Corolla in heavy traffic.
The Corolla was still on the road, with the driver behind the wheel as the driver lowered the towing equipment in an attempt to tow the vehicle.
Hallaq remembers trying to get a refund for part of the bloated bill as he was overcharged for storage fees, but an employee took his receipt and allegedly refused to give it back.
I like to defend my position. But I also believe that I am doing community service. They are a threat to society.
Sammy Hallaq
The police had to be involved to get it back, and Hallaq took the company to small claims court to get a refund.
No lawyer would take his case, so he represented himself on principle.
“No lawyer would take a case like this,” he said.
“I like to stand my ground. But I also believe I’m doing community service. They’re a threat to society.”
Hallaq was victorious, receiving $4,016 from Badillo and Fuentes — but when Fuentes requested monthly payments of $75 instead of a lump sum due to financial constraints, alarm bells rang.
He quickly contacted the consumer protection department and presented his evidence and concerns to a representative.
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
Three years later, with the help of Hallaq’s research and persistence, the Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the couple with 18 crimes.
Fuentes was charged with 12 and Badillo with six, for alleged pension fraud scheme, misappropriation of public funds, theft and perjury under oath.
They pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The city’s license to operate was also revoked for five years, according to KQED.
The office also alleged that the couple had a clandestine public assistance scheme after Fuentes, who worked at the Health The Utilities Agency, as an eligible senior worker, reportedly approved Badillo’s application for public benefits.
However, he did not reveal that they were in a relationship, KQED reported.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES
The scheme is said to have netted the couple $2 million in gross annual income since 2018, noted Franklin Lowe, an investigator with the Agency of Human Services.
The extra income allegedly bought the couple several cars, boats, rental properties and a nearly $300,000 Lamborghini.
Although Hallaq won the initial case against them, he’s not ready to give up the fight – he still wants them to pay for the illegal towing.
He said after receiving two $75 payments from the homeowners, he hasn’t seen any more payments and is representing himself in another lawsuit against them for $20,000.
He will be ready for the Aug. 7 hearing and sees justice on the horizon.
The couple’s second hearing to further discuss the allegations is scheduled for September.
“I’m willing to live another 20 years,” Hallaq said.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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