In Washington, D.C., families who had already been victims of violent carjackings were victimized again after the city charged them thousands of dollars to get their stolen cars out of jail.
According to a report from WJLA, The problems date back to November and began after Michelle Terrell’s husband worked long hours as a driver for a food delivery service. Terrell told the show that he returned to the couple’s home in northwest Washington, D.C., and tried to park his car outside when he was carjacked at gunpoint.
Police recovered the stolen vehicle approximately two months later, and the Ministry of Public Works notified the two in a letter. Unfortunately, the letter was sent to an old address and Mrs. Terrell happened to receive it when she visited her old home in February looking for her tax documents.
“If I hadn’t gone there to check my mail and see if I had a W-2.” [or] 1099 seconds, I wouldn’t have even received that letter,” she claimed.
Terrell then went to jail to retrieve the SUV his family had stolen. Even though her own car was visible from her sidewalk, she still drove home after learning the city had charged her more than $2,000 in towing and storage fees. I couldn’t do that. To make matters worse, the thieves left her with at least one ticket on city traffic cameras. Ultimately, the ticket was scored against Terrell’s family.
“I can’t take a break, but this time I’m just determined not to give up,” she said. Terrell contacted the city, which ultimately agreed to reduce some of the fees.
WJLA similarly contacted the D.C. Department of Transportation, hinting that Terrell and her husband may actually be responsible for some of the hefty fines. “The D.C. Department of Transportation is contacting customers based on their last known address on file for us,” the agency said in a statement. “If your address changes, we encourage customers to update their agent contact information as soon as possible.”
It’s unclear when the family moved or whether they immediately updated their contact information with the city. Still, a DMV representative insisted that the agency would reconsider Terrell’s case.
For now, Michelle Terrell’s car remains locked in a holding cell, and she suggests all vehicle theft victims contact the DMV as soon as they file a police report.
“I just hope no one becomes a second victim, because that’s what’s happening in my situation.”
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