LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The city of Louisville is charging crime victims to get their property returned.
The city charges car left victims to get their cars out of the impound lot. There's a grace period of 21 days where the city will waive the fee but after that, it starts to pile up fast. The recovered cars are brought to the tow lot until the owner picks it up.Â
The Louisville Metro Police impound lot is packed in each direction. According to data from the city, since Jan. 1, 2024, at least 200 cars have been reported stolen.
"The individual is already victimized by having their vehicle stolen," LMPD Deputy Chief Steve Healey said.
A proposed change to city ordinance would allow for life circumstances. There are times when people get sick, deployed for military operations, pass away or just don't get notified when their car has been recovered.
"Things are beyond someone's control maybe they've changed addresses and the notice we sent out went to the wrong address," Healey said.
The city charges $150 an hour for a tow truck, a $10 handling fee, $30 a day for storage and $25 if special equipment is involved.
After a couple days, it adds up. One guy said he paid nearly $500 to get a wrecked car out of the lot.
A few years ago, LMPD waived all fees just to get the tow lot cleared out. This proposed change in the city ordinance would help clear the lot and help the victims.
"Our tow lot is over crowded as we all know but individuals have circumstances where they may not be able to come down in the 21 days and I have experienced some of those situations," Healey said.
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