Man wakes up to find car missing then confronts lot with fineprint – now he’s getting reimbursed $380

In order to get hundreds of dollars back, a man who was surprised to discover his truck stolen one morning had to approach a towing business about some fine print.

Fort Collins, Colorado resident Rodney Qualls discovered his Dodge pickup was gone from outside his house while he was on his way to work.

Luckily, he was notified by a Thornton Police officer that the car had been abandoned at an intersection and was located around five hours later.

Rodney was unable to pick it up right away because he was traveling on business when it was towed to an impound yard.

Fearing a hefty towing cost, Rodney and his wife Tasha decided to research up on their rights once he returned before removing the car.

“When I called earlier, before we got there, they just kind of told me the fees and this and that, and then Tasha and I just kind of started doing our homework,” Rodney told 9News Denver.

The pair learned about HB23-1217, a little-known Colorado state statute from 2023 that established a fund to compensate towing firms for the expenses incurred when towing stolen cars.

But an employee gave them a $380 bill when they got to the lot.

When Tasha presented the impound manager with a copy of the law she believed covered victim costs, she was told that it was no longer in effect.

Later on, they found that the measure had been changed before it was passed; instead of establishing the fund, it charged the legislature with researching the matter.

The legislation’s original sponsor, Representative Meg Froelich, told 9News that the state realized it would be too costly to establish a fund for victims of auto theft during the amendment process and subsequent study.

In order to create a victims’ assistance fund for victims of auto theft, the lawmakers instead gave funds to the Colorado State Patrol.

The Qualls discovered that customers can find the Victims Assist link and utilize the fund at lockdownyourcar.org.

As long as victims produce confirmation of residency, insurance, and police reports, this fund will also cover other expenses related to auto theft.

The Qualls can apply in this case to see whether they can receive paid for the towing cost and an additional $400 to fix the car’s broken dome light, door lock, and ignition.

The pair had no animosity toward the tow firm.

When they are summoned, it is their responsibility to go and remove the car from the road and secure it securely, Tasha stated. The victim shouldn’t have to pay for it, in my opinion.

In other places, drivers are rushing to fulfill a DMV deadline before one of its locations permanently closes next week.All site-related services will be moved to a new location that is more than ten miles distant.

In January, ridesharing users should also examine their receipts more closely.

Passengers using Uber, Lyft, and taxis may soon have to pay more to ride due to a new congestion pricing regulation.

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