Impound fee refund

Scrogers

New Member
Jurisdiction
Georgia
Hope this is clear: my sisters car was stolen from my driveway while she was visiting for Thanksgiving from out of town. It was liability only and we did not receive any money. The vehicle was found 2 months later, I was notified by police that it was in impound and I could pick it up the next day. I arrived at the lot the following day and discovered the car was trashed and not in a condition worth keeping. I paid for all the fees, approx $325, but through discussion with the office worker found out my options were to abandon the vehicle with their towing company or get the title from my sister and sell it to recoup any losses. If I abandoned the car they would refund my money, if I was able to get the title in a timely manner I could pay the additional storage fees and sell it for salvage. After a few days, it was determined that I could not get a copy of the title in a timely enough manner to offset the storage cost so I returned to the impound lot to receive my refund for the fees I paid for and abandon the car to them. They are now saying they don't offer refunds and that there is nothing else they can do for me. How is this possible? As I see it, if we would have never shown up and paid any money, abandoning the vehicle after 30 days, the impound lot would have the vehicle and I would not be out any money. But now, the impound lot still has the vehicle and my money.
 
Sorry to hear about what happened. You can also tell them that you will go to small claims court and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and state attorney general. Unfortunately I've seen a number of such places defiant, considering that there are more cases to prosecute than there are resources - but it may be worth a try. While they may not be able to do anything substantive, it is worth following up with the BBB which can sometimes be a resource for information.

Filing in small claims court should cost under$20 and may be worth the time but you should first send a demand letter to them, stating the basic facts and circumstances. They may not show. The challenge with small claims court is collection after judgment. Still, it may be worth the effort. Best of luck.
 
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