Would you have paid?

[semperfi211]

Should these guys have paid? I am not sure. Did they get themselves in a situation where they had to be rescued or were they shaken down by the tow company?
Drivers in tight spot with towing company : Crown Point

 

[printcraft]

Holy crap, what a scam. So if I'm driving down the road and some idiot gets stuck and blocks my way I need to be rescued?
Sorry, I can wait. I'm not stuck, the other driver is, go tow him out of the way and bill him.
You didn't tow me out, I'm not stuck. You are in my way. Get bent. No way in hell you are charging me or threatening to tow me.
You better be able to back that **** up.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Tow truck was blocking the only way out on a public right of way demanding payment. Sounds criminal to me. I'd have called the police to register a complaint then sat there until the driver got bored. Then depending on how long I sat there, later pursued a criminal complaint against the driver if the police didn't. I sure as hell wouldn't have paid them.

 

[eldirector]

So, why did they wait for hours for the tow company? Why didn't they just turn around and go back? Oh? They couldn't? Sounds like they were stuck to me.....

 

[hoosierdoc]

Sounds like it's time for citizens to demand the city ends the contract with this towing vendor.

snow aside... If there was a lane closure and you're hemmed in with concrete dividers on an interstate, then an accident happens in front of you, is that any different? No one would consider charging each car who was stuck in line a fee after the wreck was cleared.

 

[Lunati]

Hells no.

 

[stephen87]

Holy crap, what a scam. So if I'm driving down the road and some idiot gets stuck and blocks my way I need to be rescued?
Sorry, I can wait. I'm not stuck, the other driver is, go tow him out of the way and bill him.
You didn't tow me out, I'm not stuck. You are in my way. Get bent. No way in hell you are charging me or threatening to tow me.
You better be able to back that **** up.

Damn right. Tow me, but you'd better pull me from my car so that I can file battery charges and possibly car jacking as well. No way in hell am I paying you or getting out of my car.

So, why did they wait for hours for the tow company? Why didn't they just turn around and go back? Oh? They couldn't? Sounds like they were stuck to me.....

People behind them got stuck? You ever come up to a car that was stuck where you didn't get stuck because of the vehicle you were driving? Looks like you have a 4wd, so I'm sure you have.

 

[VostocK]

"Crown Point Police Chief Pete Land said he has no problem with how the situation was handled."

I feel sorry for the citizens of Crown Point. Sounds like someone is getting a kickback from the towing company. Also, no I would not have paid and I would not have allowed them to take my car.

 

[JimboCX]

BS....I am surprised that you even paid. If the guy tried to tow your car, I would have called the police saying that they were stealing your car.

 

[chef larry]

Talk to the mayor and city council members. What service was rendered? what would have happened to a driver who just came out of the subdivision to the west of the stopped tow truck when they saw the road was opened?

 

[HoughMade]

Legally? Haven't looked into it, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this.

But- what if the towing company had not come out, plowed and removed the other cars? Would these guys have been able to get home? Doesn't seem like it. Did they benefit from what the company did? Seems like it. What steps did these guys take over the "several hours" to solve the issue themselves? Seems like none. Having benefited from what the company did and having not managed to solve the problem themselves....

Just something to think about.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Legally? Haven't looked into it, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this.

But- what if the towing company had not come out, plowed and removed the other cars? Would these guys have been able to get home? Doesn't seem like it. Did they benefit from what the company did? Seems like it. What steps did these guys take over the "several hours" to solve the issue themselves? Seems like none. Having benefited from what the company did and having not managed to solve the problem themselves....

Just something to think about.

Something to think about is that the person who was PRIMARILY responsible for the blockage is responsible for all of the associated costs with that blockage. Everyone else in line wouldn't have had to "benefit" if the first guy in line hadn't screwed up. You charge the guy who caused the problem, not the folks who were stuck because of the guy who caused the problem. What is the difference between that and a thousand car lineup on the interstate because a wreck is blocking all lanes. Do we now charge each car that was waiting in that line once the wreck was removed?

 

[Mgderf]

That's extortion, plain and simple.

Illegal and immoral.

The police department called the towing company because the county plows were busy? So what! Po-po called for the tow truck, THEY should pay the bill, even though that would amount to a defacto tax on everyone in the county.

 

[Classic]

CP is so close to Chicago that I guess extortion is acceptable then.

 

[HoughMade]

Something to think about is that the person who was PRIMARILY responsible for the blockage is responsible for all of the associated costs with that blockage. Everyone else in line wouldn't have had to "benefit" if the first guy in line hadn't screwed up. You charge the guy who caused the problem, not the folks who were stuck because of the guy who caused the problem. What is the difference between that and a thousand car lineup on the interstate because a wreck is blocking all lanes. Do we now charge each car that was waiting in that line once the wreck was removed?

I haven't done the legal research, but you have?

Anyhoo, I'm interested to hear what ultimately happens in this situation, but in the end, the company did plow the road, not just tow. Since these guys never had the opportunity to go through the snow that stopped the cars up front, how can they possibly know that their superior skills would have prevented them from being stuck too? The road was cleared for them. They used the cleared road. They failed to be "self-sufficient" and solve their own problem. Someone else solved it for them.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I haven't done the legal research, but you have?

Anyhoo, I'm interested to hear what ultimately happens in this situation, but in the end, the company did plow the road, not just tow. Since these guys never had the opportunity to go through the snow that stopped the cars up front, how can they possibly know that their superior skills would have prevented them from being stuck too? The road was cleared for them. They used the cleared road. They failed to be "self-sufficient" and solve their own problem. Someone else solved it for them.

If I'm at the courthouse and plug up a toilet with a giant BM and I'm charged for the cost of a plumber, should the three guys behind me holding it in get charged because now they can use the toilet that I had plugged?

Not solving a problem on your own does not mean a private company can charge you because you benefited from the solution someone else received.

 

[CitiusFortius]

Legally? Haven't looked into it, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this.

But- what if the towing company had not come out, plowed and removed the other cars? Would these guys have been able to get home? Doesn't seem like it. Did they benefit from what the company did? Seems like it. What steps did these guys take over the "several hours" to solve the issue themselves? Seems like none. Having benefited from what the company did and having not managed to solve the problem themselves....

Just something to think about.

Actually a good point....whats the difference between a ditch, snow drifts, or stuck cars? They are all objects that prevent movement. From the tow company POV, perhaps they got a call that said we have x number of cars stuck, the tow company said
(x) x $80 is worth my time to head out in this crap.

The unfair part is that they had no other options. I have AAA and pay $80 per year so I don't have to pay out of pocket for this. So I can see both sides.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I haven't done the legal research, but you have?

Legal research? Yes I have. Whether someone who was not directly responsible but who benefits gets charged for the tow is not a criminal matter, it's a civil one and the tow operator most probably would not win in civil court. In business law classes I took we studied these types of issues pretty well. When the tow operator refused to let someone leave without payment it became a criminal matter. Just because the CLEO for that area does not want to pursue it doesn't make it less so, it just means he thinks it's a piddly matter that he wants to go away on its own.

So, do we let the tow operator continue to block the interstate until each person in the thousand car lineup pays to go by?

 

[JB357Mag]

There is absolutely no way I would have paid, NO WAY!!!

If I didnt call them and I wasnt stuck, nope not paying!

Jimmy

 

[tjh88]

I'm on the side of no way. The city called them to plow, city pays. The car that the tow truck actually pulled out pays for the service they receive. At no time is my vehicle unable to move on my own should I be obligated to pay anyone. I'm not sure how the situation would need to be handled at the time, but I'd be fightin' mad!