On January 25, at around 4:45 AM (according to court testimony), my 1996 Chevy was towed by B and T towing company of Detroit.
My car had plates with current tags and was properly insured. It was not located in a no parking zone and posed no hazard to anyone. It was not imposing on anyone's private property. Moreover, my home was only some 90 feet away from the car's location!
The police did not red tag the car or give me any other sort of warning that it would be towed. I understand that they are no longer required to do so by law yet this basically leaves the owner of the car with no idea what happened and only adds to delays in getting to the bottom of the issue and higher ""storage fees.""
The car was stuck in a cluster of snow and ice and could not be moved by conventional means. When my room mate and I attempted to move the car using his aunt's truck and my (other) car, both vehicles were temporarily stuck in the mess. Were it not for the severity of the weather, the car would have been moved sooner.
Michigan law states that the police department is to notify the Michigan Department Of Transportation within 24 hours of towing an 'abandoned' vehicle. The law goes on to say that the state then has seven days to notify the owner of the vehicle's seizure. My car was seized on January 25 yet the letter from the state that I received was dated February 17. Clearly, someone dropped the ball in getting back to me!
I reported the car stolen the same day it was seized. The police officer on duty accessed his computer system and gave me a report number yet nothing was said or suggested that the car had or could have been towed.
I went to 31st District Court to contest the towing and lost the case. B and T towing now wants some $1,138.00 to release the vehicle.
I sent them the signed title by registered mail on Tuesday, March 25 in a bid to avoid any more hassles. With the title, I included a letter stating that if they accept the title, they agree to wave any further fees against me.
So called ""storage fees"" are simply a risk and cost free way for a towing company to make some extra cash. The $300.00 (give or take) that B and T Towing will make from the sale of my car as scrap metal will more than cover any towing fees incurred.
For all the above stated reasons, I refuse to pay another dime to B and T Towing. If I ever hear another peep from them I will contact the C.F.P.B. and Michigan Attorney General and ask for an investigation. If they did this to me they no doubt did it to others many times on a daily basis. If enough people speak out we CAN get this extortion racket shut down once and for all!
B and T Towing Reviews
On January 25, at around 4:45 AM (according to court testimony), my 1996 Chevy was towed by B and T towing company of Detroit.
My car had plates with current tags and was properly insured. It was not located in a no parking zone and posed no hazard to anyone. It was not imposing on anyone's private property. Moreover, my home was only some 90 feet away from the car's location!
The police did not red tag the car or give me any other sort of warning that it would be towed. I understand that they are no longer required to do so by law yet this basically leaves the owner of the car with no idea what happened and only adds to delays in getting to the bottom of the issue and higher ""storage fees.""
The car was stuck in a cluster of snow and ice and could not be moved by conventional means. When my room mate and I attempted to move the car using his aunt's truck and my (other) car, both vehicles were temporarily stuck in the mess. Were it not for the severity of the weather, the car would have been moved sooner.
Michigan law states that the police department is to notify the Michigan Department Of Transportation within 24 hours of towing an 'abandoned' vehicle. The law goes on to say that the state then has seven days to notify the owner of the vehicle's seizure. My car was seized on January 25 yet the letter from the state that I received was dated February 17. Clearly, someone dropped the ball in getting back to me!
I reported the car stolen the same day it was seized. The police officer on duty accessed his computer system and gave me a report number yet nothing was said or suggested that the car had or could have been towed.
I went to 31st District Court to contest the towing and lost the case. B and T towing now wants some $1,138.00 to release the vehicle.
I sent them the signed title by registered mail on Tuesday, March 25 in a bid to avoid any more hassles. With the title, I included a letter stating that if they accept the title, they agree to wave any further fees against me.
So called ""storage fees"" are simply a risk and cost free way for a towing company to make some extra cash. The $300.00 (give or take) that B and T Towing will make from the sale of my car as scrap metal will more than cover any towing fees incurred.
For all the above stated reasons, I refuse to pay another dime to B and T Towing. If I ever hear another peep from them I will contact the C.F.P.B. and Michigan Attorney General and ask for an investigation. If they did this to me they no doubt did it to others many times on a daily basis. If enough people speak out we CAN get this extortion racket shut down once and for all!