Towing company says impound fees responsibility of stolen car's owner


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PROVO — One man has got the mayor on his side after his car was stolen, towed, and now he has to foot the bill.

Brent Blackwood was heading out the door of his apartment, near 600 West and 1700 North in Provo, Monday morning to head to work when he realized his car had been stolen. He filed a complaint with police, who located the car Thursday in an impound lot near his house.

The car had been towed from an apartment complex a few miles away from Blackwood's own to the lot. When he called University Parking Enforcement about his car, he was told he was financially responsible for the $175 dollar fee, plus an additional $25 a day for each day the car sat in their lot.

"This is a company policy," said Michael Lamont of University Parking Enforcement. "There is a lot of expense that goes into impounding a vehicle, so whoever is deemed financially responsible for that vehicle is ultimately responsible."

Blackwood is now left to foot the bill.

"Usually in cases like this, it's the insurance company that pays for it, but in this case where he has only liability insurance, he is ultimately responsible financially for his vehicle," Lamont said.

That means even if the car was stolen when it violated parking regulations.

"I don't think that's really fair, because I'm not the one who parked it there," Blackwood said. "I locked it. I did everything I could."

The person responsible for stealing Blackwood's car still hasn't been caught.

The towing issue, which Provo Mayor John Curtis has written about on his blog, isn't going to fade away anytime soon.

Curtis said this is just another example of towing company practices that are just too aggressive, and he plans on taking the issue to city council.

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Ashley Kewish

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