A FURIOUS dad says he’s being forced to pay thousands to get his stolen car back after cops failed to tell him it had been found.
His car vanished in mid-November and he watched thieves speed off with it.
Andrew Passie from Maryland had just finished paying off the car and used it to get his kids to school and himself to work every day, he told local NBC affiliate WRC-TV.
He immediately called the cops when he saw the thief speeding off with it in the night, hoping for a quick recovery.
Passie was in limbo for months, waiting for an update.
He finally checked in with the police himself and made a shocking discovery.
His car had been recovered more than two months earlier but he says no one told him.
The car was racking up impound fees at $20 a day, leaving him with a staggering $2,040 bill to get it back.
COSTLY MISTAKE
He said DC police had found the car nine days after it was stolen and towed it to an impound lot.
But instead of reuniting him with his vehicle, it sat there, untouched, while the fees stacked up.
“I never got a letter, never got a call, nothing,” Passie said.
“I feel that the police were unfair to me, and they delayed the time.
“You gotta tell me in a week’s time. I would pay for my car and [get it back]. But it was there for two to three months.”
When Passie reached the lot to pick up his car, he was told he wouldn’t be able to take it unless he paid up.
“So discouraging. It’s unfair. The car was stolen! I did nothing wrong,” he said.
In a statement to The U.S. Sun, Seat Pleasant police clarified their role in the process, explaining they were not notified when the vehicle was recovered.
“On November 15, 2024, Mr. Passie reported his vehicle stolen to the Seat Pleasant Police Department, a spokesperson said.
“On November 23, 2024, his vehicle was recovered by the Metropolitan Police Department.”
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving 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 a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
- Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.
If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
- Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
- Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
- Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
They said when a stolen vehicle is recovered outside their jurisdiction, the recovering agency – in this case DC police – is supposed to handle owner notification.
“When a stolen vehicle is recovered within the jurisdiction of Seat Pleasant, and a Seat Pleasant Police Officer physically responds to impound the vehicle,” the spokesperson said.
“A vehicle impound notification letter is printed and mailed via the United States Postal Service to inform the vehicle owner of the impound.
“When an agency conducts a vehicle impound, they are responsible for notifying the vehicle’s owner,” the statement continued.
“In this case, the vehicle was reported stolen through the Seat Pleasant Police Department and impounded by another jurisdiction.”
The Metropolitan Police Department told The U.S. Sun that they recovered the stolen vehicle after it was reported stolen from Seat Pleasant, Maryland.
MPD stated they attempted to notify both Prince George’s County Police and the vehicle’s owner but were unsuccessful.
But the DC police didn’t clarify how they contacted Passie.
And Passie, already out a car for months, now faces the prospect of losing it for good unless he coughs up the cash.
“Each time I come and see it, I feel so bad,” he said.