What to so about a undisclosed storage fee?
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What to so about a undisclosed storage fee?
My son’s car was towed to a junkyard after an accident. 3 days later we went to get personal effects. We talked with the owner for a few minutes and left. No mention of fees or daily storage rates. Called and told him I was going to sell the car. He then mentioned storage fees of $30/day. If he would have mentioned that earlier I would have gotten the car out of there the next day. Now there is a $1,700 storage bill, plus a towing charge of $150 (which I don’t have a problem with). What can I do?
Asked on October 18, 2011 under Bankruptcy Law, Delaware
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The problem that you have is that you did not ask for a fee quote in writing of the owner of the storage facility when you were there removing your son's personal effects. If you son had automotive insurance for the vehicle, I recommend that you immediately call the claims representative about the storage fee problem that you are facing to see if any insurance policy may assist in resolving the $1,700 bill.
I would also set up a meeting with the owner of the storage facility to try and resolve the $1,700 fee in that $30.00 per day charge seems quite high for a damaged car.
If neither you nor your son signed an invoice or receipt stating the amount of the charges for the wrecked vehicle, it seems that the owner cannot realistically charge you such a daily fee for storage. It appears that he is attempting to take advantage of the situation.
If this is his practice, he may be engaging in an unfair business practice. You might wish to consult with an attorney over this situation experienced in contract law.
Good luck.
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