Location: CA, San Bernardino county
So our car was stolen late January it was a used car we bought cost $2600.
Three months later we get a call that it was found in the mountains stripped just the frame of the car was left. Cops told us it was not retrievable.
However now we get a letter that we owe $3000 plus in fees
We only had liability since we bought the car cheap and it was 2001.
Do we really have to pay $3000 plus in fees the tow company also wants us to give them the title to the car when we pay.
How is this fair?
Comments
Did you report this theft right away? You can also file a theft affidavit with the DMV if you haven’t. This is not my area but CA Vehicle Code 10652.5 states you’re not liable for unreasonable fees or storage fees if the vehicle is stolen. I would send them a demand letter with documentation it was stolen, state that you did not authorize the tow and they need to release any claim against you. Include written confirmation from the police/police report. You can voluntarily surrender the vehicle (once they clear all fees) but I don’t believe you should pay anything. You can reach out to the Bureau of Automative Repair in your state as well to see if they can help, it’s a division of the CA Dept of Consumer Affairs.