Bad arrest, recover expenses?

[Roo]

What is the name of your state? KS

My son in law was recently stooped for speeding (5mph over).
When the officer called in the license plate, the car came back as stolen.
My SIL had the registration in the car, officer wasn't interested.
SIL is arrested, car impounded and towed.
The car was not stolen, they've owned it for years.
Obviously, someone made a mistake. The charges were dropped and he was released.
They would like to recover the fees for towing and storage. Does this sound reasonable?

Thanks,
Roo

 

[The Occultist]

Contact the agency and submit a claim.

 

[CdwJava]

It might also help to find out where the mistake came from. If someone with the apparent authority to do so reported the car stolen, the police acted appropriately. If the dispatcher erred, then the agency might be liable. If the officer erred and ran the plate wrong, the agency might be liable. If someone at another agency entered the wrong plate into the system, that agency or person could be liable.

It really depends on the source of the issue and why it happened.

But, the first step would be to submit a claim to the agency asking for reimbursement of those costs, then take it from there.

- Carl