Howard's Towing & Auto Repair

On 05/05/Olympia Towing and Auto was dispatched by the Olympia Police Department toan abandoned vehicle accident involving a Dodge Durango, Washington State license plate***VIN: *** Silver in color.After speaking with the tow truck operator about the incidents that took
place that morning,reviewing the fees charged, and examining the police inventory list of the vehicle, I am not findinganything that leads me to believe that there were actually any items in question missing from thisvehicle, or that there was any overcharging done on this bill.On arrival, the tow truck operator was informed by OPD that the driver of the Dodge Durangohad fled the sceneThe tow truck driver noted that the left rear window of the Dodge was broken out,because of this, we were unable to secure the vehicle any furtherAt times, it is common for the driverto attempt to lock up any valuables left in a vehicle (GPS, cell phone, wallet, etc.), but nothing of thatnature was present at the time of the tow, or listed on the vehicle inventory list provided by OPD.The police officer also informed our driver that when the suspect fled the scene after theaccident, bystanders were basically looting the vehicle prior to Olympia Towing's arrivalThis wasdocumented and witnessed by the employees of Sharie's restaurant on the comer of Fones RdandPacific Avein Olympia.After going over the paperwork provided by the police department, and a personal inspection, itappears that the officer on duty had done a thorough inventory of all of the items in the vehicleListingMisctools, ladder, nail gun, tool belt, and he even went as far as to count CD'sThere was nothinglisted about a GPS, speakers, or anything that they were claiming as missing.Our employee also stated that the driver of the Durango who fled the scene returned with hisfather shortly before we took the vehicle to the impound yardWhen they returned to the accidentlocation, they were removing tools and other items from the vehicle BEFORE it went into our lotAtwhich time nothing was stated or mentioned to Olympia Towing, or the Police Officer on duty aboutany so-called "stolen/missing" items.Enclosed you will find copies of all the paperwork pertaining to the vehicle transaction fileToclear things up, here are our regulations and policies.All accidents and impounds are billed at an hourly rate, not by the mileAll accidents andimpounds are billed to the nearest ~ hourThese guidelines are set forth and are on file withWashington State Patrol and Department of LicensingA copy of our rate sheet is enclosed for you toreviewThe reason for this is because of recovery time, clean up, standby, any special equipmentrequired or needed, or investigation done by law enforcementWith this said, this vehicle was fourwheel drive and required a dolly as extra equipment and there was some investigation time.The vehicle arrived at our storage on 05/05/at or near AMOur policy is that if thevehicle has been in storage for hours, it is billed as a half day storageIf it has been in storage for 16hours, it is billed as one full dayAt the time of release, the vehicle had been in impound for full days,plus over hours, therefore it was billed correctly at days storage at $per dayTotaling $forthe storage feeThere is a late release fee of $on all impounds and accidents that are released afterbusiness hours, weekends, and holidays.Enclosed you will also find a picture of our operating hours and rate sheet clearly posted on thefront of the building close to front doorThe towing office is open from 8am-5pm Monday- Friday, andclosed on the weekends, as well as, all observed state holidaysIt also clearly states that shop personnelDO NOT have access to any of the towing paperwork, nor do they have the authority to release anyimpounded vehiclesWhile we do have an automotive repair shop at the same location, it is a separateentity from the towing portionWe reserve the weekends for fleet work or appointments for repair inthe shopTherefore, a qualified and trained tow truck operator must be called in after operating hoursto perform any vehicle releasesAfter reviewing the file, it has come to my attention that the vehicle,allegedly, did not leave the scene until after AmIt appears the driver may have actually underchargedthe customerLet me also point out that it was the customers choice to pick up the vehicle after hoursand pay the additional charge, they were informed of the prices prior to their arrival.For the record, the complainant and son have made several back to back phone calls to multipleemployees within my companiesThese calls have been in a threatening manner and the customerseems irateThis has ahnost gotten to the point of us notifying the authorities of the harassing phonecalls we have been receiving from the Durango owners.To sum it up, Olympia Towing and Auto is a fairly new businessIt is licensed, insured, bonded,and a registered tow company in the state of WashingtonWe are located at Shincke RdNEOlympia, WAOur hour tow service number is 360-705-Our RTTO license number isI hope this sheads some light on the situation and answers any questions you may have.Olympia Towing and AutoOlympia Towing and AutoShincke Road, NEOlympia, WA 98506Jim M***
*Please view attached documents