A DRIVER is speaking out after a tow truck left deep gouges in her driveway while repossessing her car in the middle of the night.
Erin Bentley’s car was seized by her city over $180 in unpaid parking tickets that Bentley claims she was unaware of.
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“I had no warning, Bentley said of her car’s repossession by the city of Saskatoon in Canada.
“No boot on the car, probably a letter a year ago, but nothing since,” she said.
Not only was she frustrated about losing her car, but the ordeal also left her with a damaged driveway and the loss of a day’s pay.
“I need my car to do outreach with moms who have high-risk pregnancies,” she explained.
“Living in conditions that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy,” she said.
As a hospital social worker, Bentley was on call that night and would have been unable to respond to an emergency because her car was taken without notice.
“I feel violated and criminalized,” she continued.
Despite her efforts to contribute positively to her community. serving as the president of her community association and starting a community garden, she now feels punished by the very city she strives to support.
“This is how we treat people,” she said.
“I feel like I have done something terrible,” she vented.
“I am so angry and upset.”
Bentley is particularly frustrated with what she sees as a misallocation of city resources.
“There are so many people struggling in our city, and this is where they have focused my tax dollars,” she said, expressing her disappointment with the city of Saskatoon.
“I wish that the city could just take a minute and focus on something that would help humanity.”
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
She said the city’s actions have left her feeling disillusioned and disconnected from the community.
She shared her experience on Facebook, even tagging the city of Saskatoon, and ending her emotion-filled post with the hashtags #disappointment #sad #violated #disgusted.
Some residents sympathized with Bentley in the comments.
“You really do invest SO much time and energy into our community for the greater good,” commented Megan Seto.
“You don’t deserve this,” she continued.
The city of Saskatoon has not yet responded to her claims or addressed the damage to her driveway, according to Bentley.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the city for comment.
