New to Alberta - had my car towed -need information

[feelingprettygood]

If anyone has any expierience with this could you tell me what's up, I was driving near the mountains when my car was involved in a single vehicle accident. I was hurt and the car got center pinned where it wouldn't move. Luckily someone came along and picked me up and took me to the nearest highway where the police and ambulance were waiting and took me to the hospital where I was cleared except for some major bruising. The next day I called ama and they said they couldn't help me because technicly I was off roading so I hired a guy for $100 bucks to come help only to find out the police had it towed. The towing company wants $700 plus $40 for every day it's there and the car's only worth $100bucks so my question is what happens if I just leave it with them? Will I eventually owe thousands when I go to get services from Alberta registries? Thanks for any help on how this works

[ddduke]

Not sure if this will help but some ago I had a truck that I bought for dump runs, etc. Never drove it and after 6 months or so it got towed, I paid $300 for it and they wanted something close to that to get it out of impound. I told them to send it to the kidney foundation. They told me I had to first pay off what I owed before they would do this, so I think you have to pay up.

Try calling the impound lot tomorrow and see if there's a way out of it.

[Darell_n]

Sounds like Standish Towing from Canmore. Good luck with that outfit:

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/tow-charge-tough-to-take-1.925859

[rob the knob]

did you have medical travel insure?

[FraserB]

You were on the highway or were you on a trail in the mountains?

[feelingprettygood]

I was on powderface trail

[AndyL]

Powder face trail is a hiking trail... I'm guessing there's a fairly good reason for the charges...

If you 'abandon,' it with the towing company, then 90ish days later, they'll sell it (probably for scrap) - deduct that from the total, and come after you for the remainder....

[FraserB]

You can drive on Powderface for a good chunk of the year. Out that way you probably got picked up by Big Hill, they do a lot of work for the RCMP. Their fees are HUGE.

[Kramerica]

Don't quote me on this, but most reputable towing places will simply sell the vehicle to a scrape yard if collection is unlikely. Having said that I've only dealt with towing within the city and never heard of a tow bill nearing a grand, that seems ludicrous. All the cases I've dealt with the car was worth more than the tow

[btimbit]

Popular for motorcyclists as well, but yes you can drive on it a lot of the time.

You may try to file a gross overcharge for service with Service Alberta, but really, you're most likely SOL. Sorry...

[racerjim]

I deal with all the towing companies around southern alberta, and out west it the worst for price gouging. $75 for the first day of storage plus $40 per day after. $200 lot move fee becuase they wont let anyone in their yard to remove a vehicle. Standish and United are more or less the same for overcharging, Big Hill is one of the cheaper ones. Heck i even remember an "accomidation fee" on one bill? Like a hotel would charge?? I get mad when i have to go deal with any of those companies.

Only way you might get out of this without paying them directly is if you have collision and claim the accident through insurance.

[FraserB]

If Big Hill is cheap, I don't even want to know what the others charge.:nut: