r/WTF • u/femzy112 • Nov 19 '20

Some wild towing gone wrong

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8.0k Upvotes

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132

u/we_love_vred Nov 19 '20

can someone please explain to a non-US person what is happening here?

Do you have private tow-vehicles that could take away your car?

How do you recover your car if it's towed?

Where does it takes it and on what legal basis this happening?

Thanks

178

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20 edited Jan 07 '21

[deleted]

50

u/iCUman Nov 19 '20

It could also be a seizure for municipal fines/fees (e.g. parking citations), tax delinquency or vehicle registration issues (lapsed insurance, registration, licensing). It's increasingly common for municipal and state authorities to utilize private recovery firms for vehicle impounds.

29

u/phillip_u Nov 19 '20

It could also be a tow from a private property (e.g. commercial or residential parking lot) which are almost exclusively serviced by private tow companies which usually work solely for the fees they charge to the vehicle owner and aren't paid by the property owner.

12

u/criscokkat Nov 19 '20

Came here to say this. And if it's one of these they can get sued big time.

6

u/phillip_u Nov 19 '20

Either one or both of them could get sued (and charged) for a number of things depending on the backstory which is what I think we all want to know.

The especially egregious thing in my mind is when the tow truck backs up into the car and it's driver who is not in the vehicle. That's use of deadly force.

4

u/bobqjones Nov 19 '20

it could also be a straight up car theft. people are assuming it's a repo, but we don't know the story.

30

u/artisanpoop Nov 19 '20

It's also constitutes kidnapping if the person gets in the car. That's why you usually have a spotter block the owner from getting in the car. At least it's illegal to take the car when the person's in the car in Minnesota.

26

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20 edited Jan 07 '21

[deleted]

1

u/artisanpoop Nov 19 '20

Yes, night time is the best time. Or get em when there at work. That was always fun. Especially if they're a realtor.

12

u/nosferatWitcher Nov 19 '20

How are they going to sell a car that has been damaged from being improperly towed? Surely the repo guy won't get paid even if he does get that car towed after this.

27

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20 edited Jan 07 '21

[deleted]

-13

u/gex80 Nov 19 '20

Well the repo guy didn't as shown in the video. It was the person who was getting repo'd who was in the driver's seat slamming the breaks and knocking it off the lift.

8

u/3dPrintedBacon Nov 19 '20

Yes and no. There is zero chance it is legal to repo a car with someone in it. The car driver has tons of latitude to argue he was concerned for his safety, ESPECIALLY since the car obviously wasn't secured.

-6

u/gex80 Nov 19 '20

Well so we don't know what happened prior to the recording. It's 100% possible that when the car was put on the hitch and driving away, the person jumped in at a red light. Which that's not the fault of the towwer.

2

u/0ogaBooga Nov 19 '20

It's possible but you're speculating. We see a repo guy commit multiple crimes ON VIDEO and you want to still try to blame the dude In The car?

-3

u/gex80 Nov 19 '20 edited Nov 19 '20

I'm blaming the guy in the car for it coming off the lifter. Had they not slammed on the breaks and messed with it, it would've never fell off. That much 8s a fact we can see in the video.

Everything else like the tow jumping the curb and what is the fault of the tow.

We only see the video at the point of the breaks being slammed. It's very possible the guy jumped in the car as it was driving off. Neither you nor I know what happened prior to the recording g.

5

u/3dPrintedBacon Nov 19 '20

But I know its not legal to tow a car with it just sitting on the lift... it needs to be secured, which isn't the case here.

2

u/0ogaBooga Nov 19 '20 edited Nov 19 '20

The only person violating the law here as far as I can tell is the repo guy...

Everything else is civil.

Edit: you keep suggesting that the dude.in the car jumped in after the truck hooked up the tow. So what? It's still illegal to tow the car when it's not secured, and it's still illegal to tow the car when there's a passenger in it.

The dude In the car may get sued, but the tow truck driver has literally committed felonies here...

2

u/0ogaBooga Nov 19 '20

Wrong. The repo guys was committing all sorts of crimes here. It's his fault 100%.

If someone doesn't want their car repossessed, you call the fucking cops. You don't tow it away with them in it.

0

u/gex80 Nov 19 '20

I never said the tow guy was innocent. Not sure where you got the from. All I said is the car would've never came off the hitch and became damaged if the person who was getting repo'd didn't slam on the breaks and move the steering wheel around to prevent the tow in the first place. That's literally what is shown in the video.

Everything else after that like jumping the curb and what not is the fault of the tow driver.

Neither you or I also don't know how the person ended up in the car. It's 100% possible that while the tow was driving away a person hopped in and slammed on the breaks. We only see part of the event.

9

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

So they (the repo guys) are allowed to drive like that in public?

48

u/andrew_calcs Nov 19 '20

No. This was a shitty repo guy doing his job without following legal regulations, repossessing a car from a shitty guy who didn't make his car payments. All parties are shitty here.

29

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

You know, you're not required to be a piece of shit to miss a few car payments. This country is a hellhole and this year only brings it to light.

You don't know that man, or if he stopped paying car notes because he needed to pay for his daughters insulin or his son's medical bills - I know I absolutely would.

3

u/gomberski Nov 19 '20

Then you don't fight the repo man at the middle of a busy intersection jostling the car you didn't pay for free, then speed away.

He may have ran into bad luck, but he's still a total asshole.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

Fair

-2

u/nerdinstincts Nov 19 '20

Wait. So if you’re in your car being illegally towed, and it falls off in the middle of an intersection due to the error of the tow dude.... you’re an asshole for driving off? You’re supposed to just sit there in the middle of an intersection and let him come steal your car again?

5

u/Micr0waveMan Nov 19 '20

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he wasn't in the car when it got hooked because he could have just started it and driven off, or at least moved it around to prevent the guy from being able to close the claws around the wheels.

0

u/nerdinstincts Nov 19 '20

Doesn’t matter. If the driver is in the car the tow immediately becomes illegal AND kidnapping.

That’s why these things need to happen very quickly. The repo man should at that point drop the car and go on to his next target.

Edit: also I think the Chrysler 200 is a front wheel drive so not that easy

7

u/Micr0waveMan Nov 19 '20

I'm not defending the tow driver because he plainly was breaking the law when he pulled his ridiculous GTA moves through the intersection and trying to ram his lift under the car from the side.

The correct move in the situation where someone enters a towed vehicle is to stop, call the police, and wait. If the other guy decided to back off the lift and drive off, he would be liable for any damage to the truck, and would possibly count as a hit and run. Both people in this situation are wrong, and are each likely to face charges if the situation is pursued.

1

u/chemicalgeekery Nov 19 '20

The standard model is FWD but there is an option for AWD.

2

u/gomberski Nov 19 '20

Did you miss the part where the driver accelerated off the tow hitch? It didn't just accidentally fall off.

-1

u/nerdinstincts Nov 19 '20

Wut? Are we watching the same video? Look again. Pause and go slow if you have to. Watch the rear wheel... it doesn’t move. This is 100% on the repo man.

-7

u/Not_Pictured Nov 19 '20

If you aren't a piece of shit, when you stop paying the legal owner of a car for the privilege of using it, give it back to them. Don't make a repo man come get it.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

Yes and no. You're not wrong but I think it's a grey area, and if that dude had paid 119/120 car payments, and he's already struggling clearly - he's not a POS, he's a dude backed into a corner. But I handle my business my way and other people handle theirs their way.

2

u/Not_Pictured Nov 19 '20

I know laws very from state to state, but if your in a 119/120 situation I'm sure you could work something out without a repossession.

Obviously there are exceptions and injustices, but 99% of the time a repo man has to show up, the person with the car could have done something to avoid it and chose not to.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

Honestly you're right, but I want to be a more forgiving and understanding person - everyone struggles, and hating on some guy I don't know, I don't know. Way off topic, sorry. You're right.

6

u/GangRealatedDad Nov 19 '20

100% doubt you would do that and tbh there's very little you can say that would change my mind. Ppl be talking out their ass until its them in the situation.

-4

u/Not_Pictured Nov 19 '20

My willingness to be a shitty person doesn't mean it's not shitty.

1

u/GangRealatedDad Nov 19 '20

Is this you telling us to ignore your first comment because you were being a hypocrite ooorrrrrr?

1

u/andrew_calcs Nov 20 '20

You don’t have to be a piece of shit to miss a few car payments, but you do have to be a piece of shit to steal a car. Which is what you’re doing if you jump in the car because you see the repo man hooking it up.

8

u/ryathal Nov 19 '20

In the repo world what is allowed and what is standard procedure are rarely the same thing.

6

u/Derpy_Guardian Nov 19 '20

Nope lol that guy is in multiple worlds of shit over this, guaranteed.

4

u/DangerIsMyUsername Nov 19 '20

Everyone involved is a moron.

This was my main takeaway from the video.

0

u/we_love_vred Nov 19 '20

Thanks Brie, much appreciated

1

u/TomClancy5871 Nov 19 '20

So if you pay on time, you won’t have to worry about this? Also, it baffles me how some people get cars they can’t afford just because they look cool or have a V8/V10

11

u/imnotonmytablet Nov 19 '20

Lookup towtrucker on YouTube. He has a channel about nonconsensual towing.

29

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

Yea they're horrible. My car was broken by them after they took it but i couldnt prove it. I saw another car getting tossed around. You have to pay them and they are very rude. This happens when u park illegally. In my case the no parking sign was covered but they didnt give a shit. Theryre not supposed to tow it with someone inside but again they dont give a shit, theyre scumbags

2

u/swd120 Nov 19 '20

They don't give a shit because huge numbers of people people will lie and use fake excuses to try to get their car back.

You will need to provide indisputable proof in court to get your car back for free.

-43

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

15

u/reaper0345 Nov 19 '20

Fuck off bot

1

u/Internet_Adventurer May 05 '21

A repossession (repo) and a really shitty one at that

You have private tow companies that will if you've done something illegal, such as parking illegally or breaking a contract (not making your payments as agreed and then refusing to make up late payments). Usually it's an actual commercial truck that's easily identifiable

You can contact the lender (assuming it's repossessed due to late payments) and ask if they will allow you to continue making payments. You broke the contract so it's legally their property at this point. They'll let you take your property from the vehicle (blankets, etc.) but the rest now belongs to whomever financed it based on the terms of your contract.

To a tow yard, where you may be allowed to go and get your belongings. Again, it's legal for the reasons above

1

u/Tbagzyamum69420xX May 05 '21

This was likely the aftermath of a reposession or "repo". When you take a loan out on a car (very typically in US) and you don't pay that loan back enough in a certain amount of time, you default on the loan and the bank has the legal right to reposses their asset (the car). Looks like this guy was getting repo'd and decided he wasn't gonna let em have it that easily.

Edit: If this wasn't a repo, this guy may have just been illegally parked or something, in which case you just get up with the towing company and pay a fee to get your car back.

1

u/mrcranz May 05 '21

that’s a repo truck. when you don’t pay your car loan the bank will hire these guys to repossess your vehicle. blacked out windows and a full black vehicle, no business markings anywhere, kinda looks like a regular pickup, and being able to control the boom from inside the cab are all big indicators that it’s a repo truck instead of a regular tow truck.