The Los Angeles Airport Police (LAAP) impounded Jasmond’s vehicle on 08/16/2009 for a violation of State of California Vehicle Code Section 22651(o) – Expired Vehicle Registration. Bruffy’s Del Rey Tow transported the vehicle upon the direction of the LAAP and placed it into storage. From here on in, the facts of the situation differ somewhat from the situation as described by the poster, Jasmond:
1. The City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Commission regulates and sets the towing and storage rates and fees that must be paid before the release of any vehicle by Official Police Garages. At three days, the bailment for Jasmond’s vehicle would have been $316.40. Several more days would have had to pass before the fees would have reached the total she typed. Bruffy's posts the rates for all Official Police Garage prominently in our lobby and the public can find these rates at the website: http://www.opgla.com/pages/rates.html.
2. Jasmond retrieved her personal property from the vehicle. At the time, Jasmond declared her belief that her property had been handled by our personnel. Bruffy’s explained that such actions were outside our policies and shared with Jasmond information disclosed in the LAAP inventory report. Bruffy’s cannot attest to the condition of Jasmond’s vehicle prior to it’s impound but the vehicle remains unviolated while in our charge. The vehicle's condition was and remains consistent with the inventory report.
3. Jasmond needs to be made aware that Bruffy’s made significant investments in upgrading our monitoring/recording system specifically to be able to address customer service issues such as she alleges and potential security issues. Jasmond’s recollection of what transpired onsite at Bruffy’s would likely vary from how other individual’s would interpret what is recorded.
4. Twice, Bruffy’s General Manager spent a significant amount of time on the telephone with Jasmond strategizing with her methods to limit her exposure to additional costs as the fees increase with the time the vehicle is stored. Bruffy’s noted Jasmond’s posting after the second conversation. Bruffy’s contacted Jasmond a third time in effort to resolve the issues expressed. Jasmond’s responses were curt and her demeanor was unresponsive. Jasmond continues to rebuff our attempts to find an equitable solution.
Bruffy’s acknowledges that individuals may feel ‘put upon’ by our inability to ‘bend the rules’ for their personal situations. Unfortunately, Bruffy’s, in its capacity as an Official Police Garage, has no latitude in the matter of fees charged. The truth is that Official Police Garages are highly regulated and monitored concerns. The City of Los Angeles literately monitors all transactions in three to five minute increments, 24 hours a day, 365+ days each year. Computerized software generates all fee calculations within full compliance all applicable municipal ordinances and state laws. There is nothing personal about any fee charged by Bruffy’s.
The City of Los Angeles impounds NO vehicle unless specific codified violations of the vehicle code exist. As with all Official Police Garages, the City Los Angeles contracts Bruffy’s to provide towing and storage services and monitors our performance. Bruffy’s strives to fulfill our duties in a responsible and courteous manner. Bruffy’s prides itself in its execution of those duties.
Our General Manager himself worked to address Jasmond’s expressed concerns and was met with resistance. Bruffy’s is at an impasse not of our creation and faced with a party unwilling to work with us in resolving the matters that party has expressed. Remember Jasmond chose to violate the law and chooses to reject our efforts to assist her.
Respectfully,
Richard Adlof
Comptroller
Bruffy’s Del Rey Tow