Baltimore City Council Member Jack Young called for a special hearing Wednesday about the city?s impound lot after being besieged with complaints from citizens who found their cars placed on the auction block too soon.
“People are calling my office and complaining their cars are being sold before they can claim them,” Young told The Examiner. “We need to find a better way to do this.”
Young?s request comes on the heels of a series of special reports first published by The Examiner that detailed widespread complaints about the city?s impound lot, including allegations of inadequate notice to retrieve a car before it is auctioned, excessive towing fees and claims of damaged cars and thefts from vehicles.
Young plans to introduce a resolution Monday that demands Alfred Foxx, the city?s transportation director, testify before the City Council.
“The ticketing, towing and auction policies have become more about making money than about public safety,” Young said.
Young also said that he wants to know why vehicles that have proper registration are being sold as if they were abandoned, and even prior to citizens having their day in court.
“We should make every attempt to contact someone before they auction their car,” he said.
Under the current policy, the city sends a registered letter to the owner of the vehicle, but that policy, Young said, falls short.
“People move and they don?t get the letter. We need to do everything we can to notify the owner,” he said.
Foxx declined to comment on the resolution.
But city resident Tim Wallington said he hopes that Young gets the answers he is looking for.
Wallington, 44, told The Examiner his 1990 Toyota Camry was stolen from the street near his Fells Point home. Wallington said his car was recovered by a city tow truck 13 days after he filed a police report.
“Apparently it was illegally parked, so they towed it to the impound lot and didn?t inform me that it had been found,” Wallington said.
Although it was stolen, Wallington said his car was sold at auction for $175, a big discount from the $2,000 he had recently paid for it. To add insult to injury, he said the city sent him a bill for an additional $761 for impound and towing fees.
“It?s infuriating. My car was stolen. They should reimburse me for what they did,” he said.
