How Can I Recover Personal Property from My Impounded Vehicle

**beggersrun** · 06-13-2012, 03:24 PM

My question involves an impounded vehicle from the state of: Florida

Lot's of reading here. I appreciate your patience.

Up until Monday June 4th, I took care of 'Robert', a 49 year old male who has special needs, and besides other things, not able to drive. He lives alone in a gated apartment community. I would stay with him throughout the entire day. I, being somewhat homeless, would leave his apartment around 11pm and sleep in my car in the parking lot until approximately 8am the next morning when I would return to his apartment and start the daily routine all over again.

On June 4th, one of Robert's neighbors reported me and my car to the apartment office as being suspicious, and the office called the sheriff department. I was just getting ready walk back to Robert's when an officer drove up. He asked me for my ID/DL and asked what I was doing there. After explaining, the officer took my ID/DL and (I suppose) radioed my ID for possible warrants. He then proceeded to Robert's apartment (without me) and asked Robert if he knew me. Robert confirmed my entire my story. However...

When the officer returned, he told me that since my DL had been suspended due to lack of insurance, he was keeping it. He also told me he was instructed to seize my tags, and that I had about five minutes to 'walk', otherwise I would be arrested for trespassing. Thinking that I would have Robert remove certain necessities from my car, I took very little (my laptop, and the clothes on my back) and stopped briefly at Robert's to explain what what happening, and that I would call him soon to make sure he was OK, and tell him what I needed from my car. I do not have a cell phone. I make calls from my laptop via Google Gmail's chat/phone call feature. It works quite well, but needs an internet connection to make calls ... obviously.

I called Robert as soon as I could which was about three hours later. He told me the officer had returned about thirty minutes after I had left and that there was a trespass warrant against me. He also said that my car was towed ... thirty minutes after I had left!

I talked with the impound lot yesterday (Tuesday, June 12th) to see if I could retrieve some items from my car. The person said I needed photo ID in order to have access to my car. Well, the only photo ID that I had was my DL, which I no longer have. In order for me to get an ID, I need my birth certificate (which I don't have) or my Social Security card. Guess where my Social Security card is. IN MY CAR!

Towards the end of my conversation with the impound lot, the person I was talking with asked me what my intentions were with my car. I told him that I wanted my car back and was doing everything I could to arrange it. He stated "...when? Because we're gonna end up owning it ... ". I asked him how long I had and he said it depended on when it was picked up.

So ... all my possessions are in my vehicle which I cannot have access to without photo ID .... blah blah blah. I hope you get the gist of my situation.

<< very appropriate smiley!

Your thoughts, please?

Thank you.

- Dale

**Mr. Knowitall** · 06-13-2012, 03:42 PM

An impound lot is charged with exercising reasonable care in its handling of personal property. If it simply released property to a person off the street who showed up with no ID, it would risk being held liable if that person was lying about his right to the contents of a vehicle. Try talking to the impound lot and seeing if there is anything that you can provide, other than a photo ID, that they would regard as sufficient to establish your identity as the owner of the vehicle.