Vehicle Abandoned in river, then towed

[AimlessRolling]

What is the name of your state? Texas

OK, not sure if this is the right forum, but would like some of the good advice I have been reading here.

A truck, owned by a father in Louisiana, was being used by his son in Texas. The son, being misguided, submerged the vehicle while playing 4x4 offroading.

To hide the deed from his father, the son towed the truck to a nearby river, the Trinity River, and pushed the truck into the river to abandon the truck. He later reported the truck stolen to the fine TX Police and apparently the TX officer noted incorrect behaviours and was able to coerce a confession from the 20 year old son at the time the officer was responding to get the police report on the "stolen" vehicle. (The falsified report is not the basis of the quesiton, I merely included it for entertainment of the good readers of this forum.)

The truck, not deeply enough submerged in the Trinity river, was spotted by someone and reported to the police. A tow truck operator went and recovered the vehicle and the tow operator has the truck on their lot.

The book value on the vehicle was around $8500 prior to the incident. The father had full coverage on the truck and if it had been reported to insurance at the time of the initial 4x4 incident submerging, perhaps a claim would have been acceptable. Since the "cover up" occured, the fater has no intentions to file any kind of insurance claim.

The tow operator wants $3000 PLUS the title AND the vehicle.

Question #1: Is there any legal requirement to pay the tow operator? (The vehicle was in a tidal body of water, the Trinity River, it is unknown if it was a hazzard to navigation.)

Question #2: The state of LA wants the license tags back to allow the vehicle to be transferred out of the fathers name. What is the sequence of events that allows this to occur, as the tow operator has no intentions of releasing the plates without payment?

Thanks in advance,
Aimless

Becoming a father isn't difficult, but it's very difficult to be a father.
Wilhelm BuschWhat is the name of your state?

[Silverplum]

This is the reason I keep coming back.

I just might print this whole post out and laminate it. Or frame it.

Thank you, AimlessRolling! That made my day!

Originally Posted by AimlessRolling

What is the name of your state? Texas

OK, not sure if this is the right forum, but would like some of the good advice I have been reading here.

A truck, owned by a father in Louisiana, was being used by his son in Texas. The son, being misguided, submerged the vehicle while playing 4x4 offroading.

To hide the deed from his father, the son towed the truck to a nearby river, the Trinity River, and pushed the truck into the river to abandon the truck. He later reported the truck stolen to the fine TX Police and apparently the TX officer noted incorrect behaviours and was able to coerce a confession from the 20 year old son at the time the officer was responding to get the police report on the "stolen" vehicle. (The falsified report is not the basis of the quesiton, I merely included it for entertainment of the good readers of this forum.)

The truck, not deeply enough submerged in the Trinity river, was spotted by someone and reported to the police. A tow truck operator went and recovered the vehicle and the tow operator has the truck on their lot.

The book value on the vehicle was around $8500 prior to the incident. The father had full coverage on the truck and if it had been reported to insurance at the time of the initial 4x4 incident submerging, perhaps a claim would have been acceptable. Since the "cover up" occured, the fater has no intentions to file any kind of insurance claim.

The tow operator wants $3000 PLUS the title AND the vehicle.

Question #1: Is there any legal requirement to pay the tow operator? (The vehicle was in a tidal body of water, the Trinity River, it is unknown if it was a hazzard to navigation.)

Question #2: The state of LA wants the license tags back to allow the vehicle to be transferred out of the fathers name. What is the sequence of events that allows this to occur, as the tow operator has no intentions of releasing the plates without payment?

Thanks in advance,
Aimless

Becoming a father isn't difficult, but it's very difficult to be a father.
Wilhelm BuschWhat is the name of your state?

[xylene]

Son commits multiple felonies to hide stupidity from dad.

Great work.

[AimlessRolling]

Originally Posted by Silverplum

This is the reason I keep coming back.

I just might print this whole post out and laminate it. Or frame it.

Thank you, AimlessRolling! That made my day!

I could probably get both the father and the son to autograph a photo of the trashed out truck, or I could mail you their signed copy of the posting.... provided you gave me some advice that was of use.

Maybe I should mention that the son also has a recent DUI offense and was on probation, did I mention he was 20? Oh yes, I did mention that earlier. What takes the whole enchilada is that the son choose to call in and report the incident from a NIGHTCLUB PARKING LOT that doesn't allow minors to participate? And how about the FAKE ID CARD he was carrying?

I can only imagine what Jeff Foxworthy could do with the material that I get to experience daily.

I guess I'll just sit back and begin the wait for a Darwin award.

[fairisfair]

Originally Posted by AimlessRolling

I could probably get both the father and the son to autograph a photo of the trashed out truck, or I could mail you their signed copy of the posting.... provided you gave me some advice that was of use.

Maybe I should mention that the son also has a recent DUI offense and was on probation, did I mention he was 20? Oh yes, I did mention that earlier. What takes the whole enchilada is that the son choose to call in and report the incident from a NIGHTCLUB PARKING LOT that doesn't allow minors to participate? And how about the FAKE ID CARD he was carrying?

I can only imagine what Jeff Foxworthy could do with the material that I get to experience daily.

I guess I'll just sit back and begin the wait for a Darwin award.

maybe you could just tell us if you are the son or the father?

That might be motivating. . . .

or not.

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by AimlessRolling

...
The son, being misguided, submerged the vehicle while playing 4x4 offroading.
...

I apologize, but I have mislaid my thesaurus. So, tell me, when did "misguided" become a synonym for "complete idiot"?

Question #1: Is there any legal requirement to pay the tow operator?

A: Yes.



Question #2: The state of LA wants the license tags back to allow the vehicle to be transferred out of the fathers name. What is the sequence of events that allows this to occur, as the tow operator has no intentions of releasing the plates without payment?

A: This is pretty complicated, but I will try to answer it.

Two (count 'em) steps:

Pay

Give tags

[Some Random Guy]

Yes you have to pay the tow operator, but the question is whether $3000 + title is an appropriate fee. What was involved in the tow and subsequent storage? If the bulk of the fees are from storage, then was the father promptly notified?

[AimlessRolling]

As for the question to my role, I am the uncle of the minor, brother to the father, and due to my proximity and blood lineage, I am now involved.

As for the other questions, the tow operator has had the vehicle for about a week. The father is being proactive and wants to get this cleared up as soon as possible.

As for what was involved, the vehicle was partially submerged in the river, and I do not have the details of the tow. My understanding is the tow was requested by the police (?) when the vehicle was reported in the river by a samiratian.

A different tow operator, who is a friend of the son (yes, why didn't the friendly tow truck pull the vehicle out...), anyway the tow truck driving friend said the tow operator was not due anything other than the salvage claim to the vehicle. If there is any truth to that claim, I need to back it up and provide that data to the father of the son, my brother.


He aint heavy, he's my brother.
-- Neil Diamond

[fairisfair]

Originally Posted by AimlessRolling

As for the question to my role, I am the uncle of the minor, brother to the father, and due to my proximity and blood lineage, I am now involved.

As for the other questions, the tow operator has had the vehicle for about a week. The father is being proactive and wants to get this cleared up as soon as possible.

As for what was involved, the vehicle was partially submerged in the river, and I do not have the details of the tow. My understanding is the tow was requested by the police (?) when the vehicle was reported in the river by a samiratian.

A different tow operator, who is a friend of the son (yes, why didn't the friendly tow truck pull the vehicle out...), anyway the tow truck driving friend said the tow operator was not due anything other than the salvage claim to the vehicle. If there is any truth to that claim, I need to back it up and provide that data to the father of the son, my brother.


He aint heavy, he's my brother.
-- Neil Diamond

you need to research non consent towing fees. probably municipal law, or city. . . did the police request the tow? If so, then generally the operator is entitled to the maximum fee amount allowed.

[Ozark_Sophist]

All that pollution. The EPA should fine the kid as well.