I was fined $504 when my car was illegally towed from store parking lot

A MAN sparked a criminal investigation of a towing company after a blatantly illegal tow - then the owners were charged with 18 felonies.

The company also sent him to the wrong pickup location and tried to charge him over $500.

The owners of Specialty towing, the company that tried to tow a car while it was stuck in traffic, were charged with 18 feloniesCredit: Youtube /abc7newsA man caught a driver trying to tow his car, and after he was fined $504 and put through several illegal hoops, investigated the companyCredit: Getty

Sammy Hallaq spotted a tow truck attempting to take his 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser from the Foods Co. parking lot in San Francisco back in 2019.

The tow truck driver reportedly broke the city's law when Hallaq requested he drop the vehicle and refused.

"I told them to release it on the spot because the car was still in the parking lot," he told KQED.

"If you catch them in the act and you request that they release the car, by law, they have to release it and charge you just the hook-up fee. They refused, and they drove off."

When Hallaq tried to retrieve his car, the company allegedly sent him to the wrong location.

After he figured out the correct location, he was reportedly turned away because it was the weekend.

He made several phone calls and finally retrieved his Toyota, and was charged $504, he told the outlet.

Hallaq told KQED that the employee pressured him to pay in cash, but he refused.

The act sparked a fire in Hallaq and he began his own investigation into the owners of the company who took his car.

"I started researching the laws that have to do with towing, and I realized that there are violations all over the place," Hallaq told the outlet.

Woman speaks out after tow truck chases car while husband is driving and reveals terrifying moment they 'freaked out'

The owners, Jose Badillo and Abigail Fuentes own three towing companies in San Francisco: Auto Towing, Jose's Towing, and Specialty Towing & Recovery.

A Specialty Towing driver went viral earlier this year when he tried to tow a Toyota Corolla in the middle of busy traffic.

The Corolla was still on the road, with the driver behind the wheel as the driver lowered his towing equipment in an attempt to haul the vehicle away.

Hallaq recalled trying to get a refund for part of the bloated bill, as he was overcharged for storage fees, but an employee took his receipt and allegedly refused to give it back.

I like to stand my ground. But I also believe that I’m doing community service. They are a menace to society.

Sammy Hallaq

The police had to be involved to get it back, and Hallaq took the company to small claims court to get his refund.

No lawyer would take his case, so he represented himself on principle.

"No attorney would take a case like this," he said.

"I like to stand my ground. But I also believe that I’m doing community service. They are a menace to society."

Hallaq was victorious, getting $4,016 from Badillo and Fuentes - but when Fuentes applied to make $75 monthly payments instead of a lump sum due to financial restraints, alarm bells rang.

He quickly contacted the consumer protection department and brought his evidence and concerns to a representative.

What to do if your car is towed

Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.

If your vehicle is towed after parking in a "No Parking" zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.

Steps to take when your car is towed:

Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted "No Parking" sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.

If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:

Be prompt - many states have a small window of time where it's acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.

Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm

Three years later, with the help of Hallaq's research and persistence, the District Attorney's office charged the couple with 18 felonies.

Fuentes was charged with 12, and Badillo with six, for an alleged welfare fraud scheme, misappropriation of public funds, grand theft, and perjury under oath.

They pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Their license to operate within the city was also revoked for five years, according to KQED.

The office also claimed the couple had an underground public assistance scheme after Fuentes, who worked at the Health Services Agency as a senior eligibility worker, allegedly approved Badillo's request for public benefits.

However, he reportedly failed to disclose that they were in a relationship, KQED reported.

THE FIGHT RAGES ON

The scheme was said to rake in $2 million in gross annual income for the couple since 2018, noted Franklin Lowe, an investigator with the Human Services Agency.

The extra income reportedly bought the couple several cars, boats, rental properties, and a nearly $300,000 Lamborghini.

Even though Hallaq won his initial case against them, he's not ready to give up the fight - he still wants them to pay for the illegal tow.

He said after receiving two $75 payments from the owners, he hasn't seen any more payments and is representing himself in another lawsuit against them for $20,000.

He'll be ready for the August 7 hearing and sees justice on the horizon.

The couple's second hearing to further discuss the charges is scheduled for sometime in September.

"I'm willing to go another 20 years," Hallaq said.

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