Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

My friend is having a series crisis. I don%26#039;t have a car, so I don%26#039;t know what to tell her. So, I%26#039;m hoping you fine people here can help give her some advice. Her car was towed in NYC by the Marshall%26#039;s office because she owes $500 in outstanding parking tickets. She thought she had paid all 3 of them off - however went she went down to the Dept of Finance - there were penalties that were never paid because they were mailing the notices to her old address from 2 years ago and the post office wasn%26#039;t fwd her mail anymore. The total she said she needs to get her car out of impound is $800 something. She is on Social Security Disability and doesn%26#039;t have that kind of money. Plus the car is worth maybe $300. (She%26#039;s says $645 - but I%26#039;ve seen her car.... it%26#039;s NOT worth THAT much.) I can%26#039;t fit all the details here, so please see my additional comments for the continuation and further information about this situation.

Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

A bench warrant is issued when you have unpaid tickets/fines, and have not made restitution. You are arrested on the bench warrant, then appear in court to state your reason for failure to pay the fines/tickets.

If she is on SS Disability, her income is low and likely won%26#039;t be able to support much of a car payment, plus insurance, and fees for parking(appears parking is an issue)I think she is better off, paying her fines and getting her car back. As for not receiving the mailings, the registered owner is required to change their address within ten days, so that they can receive notifications such as this. Normally, mailings from the DMV are never forwarded, so she is still at fault for not updating her records with the DMV. If your friend lives out of state, why has she not titled the car in that state? She also is required to change her driver license over to the new state.

Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

It sounds like all of these problems may have been caused because your friend did not update her address on her driver%26#039;s license when she moved. You are supposed to notify the state within 1 week of the moving date. That is why the tickets were being returned to the summons bureau, her address was never updated.

Live and learn.

Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

Yeah I think you are right, it is not worth it to %26quot;buy%26quot; that piece of junk back. She should work with the payment plans and get a more reliable car. Sorry about your friend.

Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

I would tell them to keep the car and sign the title off to them, she will have to pay tickets or they will swear out a bench warrant for her.

Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

Sounds like the better option is to simply abandon the car, cancel the insurance on it, and go shopping for something more reliable.

I%26#039;d go down to the impound, sign the ownership over to them, and hand them the keys, telling them %26quot;Its your problem now.%26quot;

Car Towed - what would you do? Need to give advice to a friend in need.?

Pay the fines get the car back and donate it to a good chrarity and get a tax deduction save some cash than lease a car from now on. The longer you wait the more it is going to cost you and NYC is going to get richer,than when all is done take that friend to dinner good friends are hard to find good luck. p.s. watch where you park from now on.