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- Nov 18, 2012
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I am hoping maybe some of the people on here could give me some advice as to if there is any legal action or other options I have after having an unreasonable experience with Crown Auto in New Haven. 388 Crown St. I have already sent emails about my complaint to state representatives and the Mayor of New Haven in an attempt to have legislature drafted to protect others in the future from having to go through what I went through.
So on Friday night, August 7, at about 6:30 PM I was heading home from work traveling on Ella T Grasso Boulevard and was passing through the intersection of Kimberly when a car from the other direction took a left in front of me and hit me head on. As a result of the accident my vehicle was undriveable and the driver of the other vehicle left in an ambulance before I was able to get her name and insurance information. The police officers did a great job (Office Ryan Hall and J Galvin). They called tow trucks to remove both disabled vehicles. Crown Towing was the company that towed my vehicle and after they hooked the vehicle they took off without even asking if I needed to remove any items from my vehicle. Officer Hall provided me with the vehicle tow sheet that showed where the car was towed and told me I could go there to get anything I needed from the vehicle.
On Saturday, I was experiencing bad headaches and went to Yale Medical in Guilford to be checked out. I was diagnosed with Acute Post Tramautic Headaches (mild concussion). As a result, I asked my father to go take care of my vehicle for me as I wanted to rest. He went to Crown Towing and paid the Tow charge along with the 1 day storage fee and told them he was going to have another garage come to take the vehicle. Crown was not too happy and gave him a hard time saying it was a total so why not just leave it with them and let them take care of it. My father told them it was not their choice it was mine and someone would be coming to take the vehicle. At this point all my dues were settled. Crown was told that when the tow truck came to pick up the vehicle that any other storage fees would be settled by the tow truck driver before taking the vehicle.
On Monday, August 10, I went to Crown Towing to try to retrieve personal items that I needed from my vehicle. My garage had not come to pick up the vehicle yet as they were going to wait til after the weekend. I went to the yard and told them I was there to get personal items that were in my vehicle. They told me they WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF MY CAR. I told them they were my personal items and they had no right to hold my items. They had the right to hold my car but not my personal items in my vehicle that they never gave me a chance to take out before they left the scene of the accident. It got into a heated verbal argument with them telling me I had to pay the 2 days storage extra before they would let me get my personal items. All I wanted was my golf clubs in the trunk, my company credit card (gas card) that I am liable for, and the keys for the company van I use at work. They refused to let me retrieve these things.
I then called the New Haven police and explained to them that I as in an accident, it was the other parties fault, and I had paid my tow fee but Crown was refusing to let me take my personal items out of the vehicle. They sent 2 officers down (very young and assuming newish) and they said they receive multiple calls a week complaining about Crown and they operate their way and the only thing they could do was mediate the situation. The cops were not much of a help and after a half hour of going back and forth I was forced to pay for the 2 days extra storage just to have an opportunity to retrieve my items that Crown was holding hostage. They extorted me in my opinion. But it doesn't end here. After paying the 2 days storage they still refused to let me retrieve my items from the vehicle and told me I could not get my personal items until my tow/garage company took the vehicle out of their yard. I was furious and the cops mediated to have Crown put the car in the street in a parking spot that had a meter as that was the only way Crown would allow me to get my personal items. Crown then informed me that if the car was not picked up by a certain time they would put it back into their yard and charge me a tow fee again.
This business practice is totally unacceptable. I was the victim of someone hitting my vehicle. I was not towed for parking illegal or unpaid tickets or unpaid taxes. My car was taken without Crown asking if I needed anything out of it and then they extorted and strong armed me to force to pay just to get my items that Officer Hall had said I could retrieve. I have no idea why Crown continues to have their towing contract renewed with the City of New Haven as there have been complaints and protests about their practices and operating procedures for many many years. I know a few guys in the towing/wrecking business and they all say Crown are some of the biggest dirtbags in the state. They have an IN with the New Haven Police department apparently.
It is aggravating and disheartening that a business such as Crown gets away with taking advantage and treating someone, such as myself, in the situation I was in the way they did. They had no right to hold my personal items yet they act as if they are. That is theft, extortion, and strong arming in my personal opinion. I was not taking the car or trying to scam them. I had already paid the tow fee and 1 day storage and my garage was going to pay the other storage fees when they picked up the vehicle.
Was Crown well in their rights with their actions? Is there any type of consumer protection or any legal actions I can take against them for the aggravation, time wasted, having to pay for my own items that I dont even believe they had the right to withhold from me?
So on Friday night, August 7, at about 6:30 PM I was heading home from work traveling on Ella T Grasso Boulevard and was passing through the intersection of Kimberly when a car from the other direction took a left in front of me and hit me head on. As a result of the accident my vehicle was undriveable and the driver of the other vehicle left in an ambulance before I was able to get her name and insurance information. The police officers did a great job (Office Ryan Hall and J Galvin). They called tow trucks to remove both disabled vehicles. Crown Towing was the company that towed my vehicle and after they hooked the vehicle they took off without even asking if I needed to remove any items from my vehicle. Officer Hall provided me with the vehicle tow sheet that showed where the car was towed and told me I could go there to get anything I needed from the vehicle.
On Saturday, I was experiencing bad headaches and went to Yale Medical in Guilford to be checked out. I was diagnosed with Acute Post Tramautic Headaches (mild concussion). As a result, I asked my father to go take care of my vehicle for me as I wanted to rest. He went to Crown Towing and paid the Tow charge along with the 1 day storage fee and told them he was going to have another garage come to take the vehicle. Crown was not too happy and gave him a hard time saying it was a total so why not just leave it with them and let them take care of it. My father told them it was not their choice it was mine and someone would be coming to take the vehicle. At this point all my dues were settled. Crown was told that when the tow truck came to pick up the vehicle that any other storage fees would be settled by the tow truck driver before taking the vehicle.
On Monday, August 10, I went to Crown Towing to try to retrieve personal items that I needed from my vehicle. My garage had not come to pick up the vehicle yet as they were going to wait til after the weekend. I went to the yard and told them I was there to get personal items that were in my vehicle. They told me they WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF MY CAR. I told them they were my personal items and they had no right to hold my items. They had the right to hold my car but not my personal items in my vehicle that they never gave me a chance to take out before they left the scene of the accident. It got into a heated verbal argument with them telling me I had to pay the 2 days storage extra before they would let me get my personal items. All I wanted was my golf clubs in the trunk, my company credit card (gas card) that I am liable for, and the keys for the company van I use at work. They refused to let me retrieve these things.
I then called the New Haven police and explained to them that I as in an accident, it was the other parties fault, and I had paid my tow fee but Crown was refusing to let me take my personal items out of the vehicle. They sent 2 officers down (very young and assuming newish) and they said they receive multiple calls a week complaining about Crown and they operate their way and the only thing they could do was mediate the situation. The cops were not much of a help and after a half hour of going back and forth I was forced to pay for the 2 days extra storage just to have an opportunity to retrieve my items that Crown was holding hostage. They extorted me in my opinion. But it doesn't end here. After paying the 2 days storage they still refused to let me retrieve my items from the vehicle and told me I could not get my personal items until my tow/garage company took the vehicle out of their yard. I was furious and the cops mediated to have Crown put the car in the street in a parking spot that had a meter as that was the only way Crown would allow me to get my personal items. Crown then informed me that if the car was not picked up by a certain time they would put it back into their yard and charge me a tow fee again.
This business practice is totally unacceptable. I was the victim of someone hitting my vehicle. I was not towed for parking illegal or unpaid tickets or unpaid taxes. My car was taken without Crown asking if I needed anything out of it and then they extorted and strong armed me to force to pay just to get my items that Officer Hall had said I could retrieve. I have no idea why Crown continues to have their towing contract renewed with the City of New Haven as there have been complaints and protests about their practices and operating procedures for many many years. I know a few guys in the towing/wrecking business and they all say Crown are some of the biggest dirtbags in the state. They have an IN with the New Haven Police department apparently.
It is aggravating and disheartening that a business such as Crown gets away with taking advantage and treating someone, such as myself, in the situation I was in the way they did. They had no right to hold my personal items yet they act as if they are. That is theft, extortion, and strong arming in my personal opinion. I was not taking the car or trying to scam them. I had already paid the tow fee and 1 day storage and my garage was going to pay the other storage fees when they picked up the vehicle.
Was Crown well in their rights with their actions? Is there any type of consumer protection or any legal actions I can take against them for the aggravation, time wasted, having to pay for my own items that I dont even believe they had the right to withhold from me?
