Consumption and Real Estate
how do i go about getting the City of San Diego to reinburst me for towing/holding my truck for a false claim.?
Question : how do i go about getting the City of San Diego to reinburst me for towing/holding my truck for a false claim.?
The day after thanksgiving 09 about 2am (no alcohol involved) I got into a car accident with a tree in the rain about a mile from my house. After making sure everyone was ok I attempted to see if my truck was drivable all the way home which it wasn’t so i parked it in a strip mall until the next morning when I could get it towed by my insurance company. The tree didn’t belong to anyone so there was no need to call the police since the only damage was to my truck. My friends and I walked to my house and the next morning when I went back it was gone. I called the police and they said it was towed under evidence of hit and run. later I found out someone called it in because they said they didn’t know if I hit a tree or street sign ( there were no street signs knocked over so it should have been easy). The police held my truck in impound for 42 days for a total of $ 1849 because the officer who took the report that night wouldn’t turn it in for some reason. The only way I finally got some action taken was to go to the officers police station and threaten to bother the chief everyday until someone had some answers. I tried filing a claim but they said the police had a right to tow my vehicle if they thought it was involved in a hit and run. Does this make sense to anyone when the only damage was to my truck from hitting a lone tree so where is the hit and run???. I want to sue but a lawyer would cost more then the money I paid to get it out. Does anyone know another route or have some advice for me?
home insurance san diego
Best answer:
Answer by gomanyes
Yes, they had the right to tow your vehicle. You did damage the tree, which has to be someone’s property (nothing “doesn’t belong to anyone”), so that qualifies as hit-and-run even if there was no other damage. I agree that 42 days is a bit extreme, but I don’t know what the rules are on that.
You should have called your insurance company right away and made arrangements. There are 24 hour towing companies. If that’s not possible, they can call the police and alert them of the situation so that they don’t tow it.
Anytime you are involved in a car accident you MUST report it to the police regardless of who is involved. Someone has rights over that tree. If it is not owned property, the government owns it. You parked the vehicle on private property that you did not have permission to park there over night. The police needed your car as evidence to show you HIT and Ran because that is what you did. If you can prove the officer held your vehicle for too long you may get money back on some of that $ 1,849, but you are going to be responsible for the bulk of it as you did hit and run.