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Does anyone else agree that the mandatory 30-day impound law passed in California in 1992 is a way for the State, City, Police Department and tow truck companies to legally steal your car?
Here's my story:
Back on March 1st, I let someone who was visiting from Virginia drive my car. Unbeknownst to me at the time, he had a suspended license from not paying tickets and registration fees in his home state. Anyway, he does a stupid driving move in Hollywood and gets pulled over by LAPD. He didn't have a license, so they seized the car and took it to the impound. I was freaking livid!!!
I called the police station twice to see if I could get a release letter to get my car out of the impound. They asked me if the person driving the car could get a VALID CALIFORNIA DRIVER'S LICENSE?? I said no, because he doesn't live here, but could provide a Virginia one if necessary. She said could he get it BEFORE THE 30 DAY HOLD WAS UP? I was like I don't know, BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME (THE REGISTERED) OWNER GETTING MY CAR BACK? She said that unless the driver of the vehicle can get a VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE THEN THE CAR WOULD HAVE TO STAY IN THE IMPOUND FOR THE ENTIRE 30 DAYS!!!!!
I was like "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" She said yes and that it will cost me $1200, plus fees (approx. $1500) to have the car released. If I don't have the money to get the car released, THEN IT WILL BE AUCTIONED OFF AND THE DIFFERENCE STILL OWED ON THE VEHICLE WILL BE SENT TO COLLECTIONS AND PLACED ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT!!!
I said to her that "YOU ARE LEGALLY STEALING MY CAR!! It only cost me $500 to buy it and you want me to pay $1500 to get it out??? And then if I don't have the money to get the car released, you're going to STEAL IT FROM ME and sell it, then DESTROY MY CREDIT by sending the remainder left on the sale of the car to credit bureaus and collection agencies. Is that right??" She said "THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T MAKE ANY MONEY FROM YOUR CAR (lies). It was YOUR responsibility to make sure that whoever was driving your car had a valid driver's license." She was right, but I "thought" he did, because I "knew" he could drive. I automatically "assumed" his papers were in order. Why wouldn't I? I have NEVER in all my years ever heard or seen anyone ask to see someone's driver's license BEFORE letting them drive their car (unless they were teenagers or something). Of course, this was BEFORE moving to California.
Anyway, I told her I'll just sign the car over to the tow company, because it's not worth $1500. She said "Do what you feel is best" and I hung up. By the time I did call the tow company it was March 18 and fees had climbed to an astronomical $800!! I told the impound person that I wanted to sign over the car to them. He told me THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THEM HALFOF THE TOTAL FEES I OWED ON THE CAR BEFORE THEY WOULD TAKE (STEAL) THE CAR FROM ME!!! Again, just like with the cop at the police station, I said "Are u serious??" He said "Yes, and if you don't have all of the money, then we'll take HALF of the HALF OF THE THE TOTAL FEES and bill you the rest in 30 days." I couldn't freakin' believe it!!! When I asked him to break down the fees to me, one of them included a $48 POLICE RELEASE FEE! Yes, a POLICE RELEASE FEE that the freakin' cop said they didn't get. Liar!!
So, I had to wait a few more days before signing the car over (at a daily rate of $34.65 a day), because I didn't have any money. Also, the person who got my car impounded had went back to Virginia and Western Unioned me $250 to cover it. By the time I got there total fees had ballooned to $900 and I was going to have to pay the tow company a total of $450 TO TAKE (STEAL) MY CAR, half of which I could put down that day and I HAD THREE WEEKS (not 30 days as I was told) to come up with the other half. I said I was told over the phone that I would have 30 days to pay. The woman taking my money, said "No, you need to have the rest of this money BEFORE the April 12 Auction date." Again, I was like "WTFreakinF???!!!!" Like, can this mess get any more freakin' weird??!! I was like "Fine, can you give me my receipt please??" She went on to tell me that if I didn't have the money before the auction date that I would be billed the difference and sent to collections (again). I said "You're going to be making money off my car twice. The first time after I pay this "fee" and the second when you sell it." She said, "We get a small percentage of the auction sales. MOST OF THE MONEY GOES TO THE CITY."
I was literally speechless. It's not just LAPD and the Tow companies making money, the City and State has sanctioned this too.
Don't get me wrong. I believe the law is useful for people who are DUIs, have suspended or invalid licenses, etc., IF THEY ARE THE REGISTERED OWNERS. But my problem is when you penalize the registered owners of the vehicles for something THEY didn't do. Yes, I knew I would have to pay a towing fee, but to hold my car for the ENTIRE 30 DAYS is just plain wrong!! It's legalized STEALING!! You're damed if you do and damned if you don't. No inbetweens.
I'm just glad that it wasn't a car I had to make payments on. Then I'd really be F'd!!
Please tell me that you agree that this law is wrong and should be modified. This is not done in NY, DC, MD, VA, NC, PA and NJ. People would be rioting and news stories would be done on the unfairness of it.
Why are people in Cali so blase about everything??!! Sheesh!! Laws pass with no fanfare or upset no matter how ridiculous they are.
There are MORE upsetting things in this state then a bunch of illegals crossing the border! People are so focused on this stupid s*** that the state and city is robbing them blind - LEGALLY.
Last edited by marilyn220; 03-24-2007 at 04:23 PM..
I bet you never loan a car out again.
The law was instated to make a difference in the number of cars with no registration, uninsured or unlicenced drivers. Good to hear it's working.
I bet since you trusted your friend he will do the right thing and pay you back. Then again, if the state of Virginia does not trust him.
If you had reported the car stolen they would have released it to you with only a tow bill and possibly storage fees. Of course then your friendship might be strained with your friend being charged with a car theft charge.
Thank you for sharing, good to hear the police are doing their job.
I bet you never loan a car out again.
The law was instated to make a difference in the number of cars with no registration, uninsured or unlicenced drivers. Good to hear it's working.
I bet since you trusted your friend he will do the right thing and pay you back. Then again, if the state of Virginia does not trust him.
If you had reported the car stolen they would have released it to you with only a tow bill and possibly storage fees. Of course then your friendship might be strained with your friend being charged with a car theft charge.
Thank you for sharing, good to hear the police are doing their job.
No, he's not going to stiff me. As a matter of fact he paid the fines he owed on HIS car and got his license back. He'll be sending me the other half of the money next week. He's not a flake. The reason why he didn't pay those tickets was because he was "contesting" some of them for reasons I won't go into. And you're right, I will NEVER loan my car out again BEFORE investigating the laws of the state to see what I will be responsible for. Regardless, I NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PENALIZED IF I WASN'T THE ONE THAT WAS DRIVING.
The law is NOT working. It's F'd up. All it's doing is making me hate this state more than I already do. It takes a certain "mindset" to live here and believe that this law is just. I thank the gods above that I (happily) do NOT possess it.
"I NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PENALIZED IF I WASN'T THE ONE THAT WAS DRIVING."
Within 30 days of reading about the passage of that law, my youngest son was arrested for possession and my vehicle was impounded.
When I called the towing service, I was informed that the vehicle could only be released with a written release from the police department, after 30 days.
When I spoke with 2 sergeants at the station, I was told the same thing. No way was I getting my car back before the 30 day period expired.
I then made an appointment to speak with the watch commander. Just as I arrived at the station, they had a "rollout" and he was courteous enough to see me, even though there was a lot going on at the time. I merely explained that I needed my vehicle to get to work. He told me that the law was passed to keep drunks and others that shouldn't be driving off of the highways. I was in total agreement with that.
He then told the desk sergeant to complete a release form, and her jaw dropped. Don't think too many others were as fortunate as I was to get their vehicle back in 1 day under the new law.
The reason I quoted the statement above is because I feel that I am responsible for who drives my vehicle. I am much more pro-active in that regard now. I will give you a ride, but you will never drive my car. (Kids and grandkids, are you listening?)
"I NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PENALIZED IF I WASN'T THE ONE THAT WAS DRIVING."
The reason I quoted the statement above is because I feel that I am responsible for who drives my vehicle. I am much more pro-active in that regard now. I will give you a ride, but you will never drive my car. (Kids and grandkids, are you listening?)
I am happy you were able to get your car out and was able reach an understanding supervisor.
I believe you've convinced yourself that this law is justified. Your SON was the one caught with the drugs NOT YOU. If it was HIS car, then fine, it should have been kept for 30 days, but it was YOURS. Also, what if you didn't allow him to drive the car, then what? Are u still held liable for something you had no control over?
Like you, I will NEVER let anyone drive my car again as long as I reside in the state of California. I got off cheaply, because it could have been a car I was making payments on. I would have had to choose between paying my rent and getting this car out. Who can afford both $1200 AND rent these days?
Please inform me as to what the law is concerning this. If an out of state resident (with a valid license and insurance) drives a person's car who's a resident of california (with valid lic and insrance) and gets pulled over for going a little too fast, can they impound the car right there? Or does drinking or drugs have to be involved?
Please inform me as to what the law is concerning this. If an out of state resident (with a valid license and insurance) drives a person's car who's a resident of california (with valid lic and insrance) and gets pulled over for going a little too fast, can they impound the car right there? Or does drinking or drugs have to be involved?
I don't know for sure, but I think drinking, drugs and not driving without a license.
It's a very F'd up law and EVERYONE I spoke to about it (including strangers on the street and other messageboards) NEVER knew about it or the towing fees involved.
Doesn't matter anyway, it's not like Californians would do anything about it if they did know. They're more concerned with illegals, the war and other nonsense while the state and local governments rob them blind.
This story absolutely horrified me and I don't even know which end to pick it up by. I don't appreciate all the "it's the law" comments you got from the police about it, either--considering these are the same system who just up and let a PP go when her son got into trouble in her car. EXCUSE me? It's a law when they want it enforced, and then it's a rueful giggle and a "have a nice day, ma'am" when they think someone looks pleasant enough in their opinion?
If I were you, Marilyn, I'd be fuming. Well...I can see that you are fuming. Of course you have no recourse in saying "Why then do you let other people go?" You'd get a wiggly-eyebrowed look and "What other people?" "Well," you'd explain with great trembling emotion, "People on the internet." That would go over well....... Oh DAMN that would burn me up. I know it doesn't help you any to know that, but...yeah...your tax dollars at work.
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I said no, because he doesn't live here, but could provide a Virginia one if necessary. She said could he get it BEFORE THE 30 DAY HOLD WAS UP? I was like I don't know, BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME (THE REGISTERED) OWNER GETTING MY CAR BACK? She said that unless the driver of the vehicle can get a VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE THEN THE CAR WOULD HAVE TO STAY IN THE IMPOUND FOR THE ENTIRE 30 DAYS!!!!! 
She went on to tell me that if I didn't have the money before the auction date that I would be billed the difference and sent to collections (again). I said "You're going to be making money off my car twice. The first time after I pay this "fee" and the second when you sell it." She said, "We get a small percentage of the auction sales. MOST OF THE MONEY GOES TO THE CITY." 
