Covid-hit carer’s fury over bill for seized car
ACARER who had to pay £600 in administration fees for an impounded car while she recovered in hospital from coronavirus has blasted the ordeal as “disgusting”.
Jennifer Kirk eventually had to collect her car from the 999 Recovery in Bothwell during subzero temperatures and on crutches to prevent daily charges from racking up even further.
She said: “I obviously couldn’t go to collect the car because I was in hospital with the virus and a broken leg.
“I appreciate that the law was broken, but given the unprecedented circumstances, I think I have been treated wholly unfair. If I hadn’t been high on morphine or recovering from Covid, then the car would have been picked up within 24 hours after being seized.”
The 41-year old had lent the vehicle to her ex-partner to allow him to care for their children while she was admitted to the University Hospital Wishaw.
After her ex was stopped by police, the vehicle was subsequently seized as Jennifer claims she forgot to click ‘confirm’ on an online form for temporary insurance – meaning her ex-partner was driving uninsured.
After making operators aware she could not collect the motor due to ill health, hundreds of pounds worth of fees accrued over a 16-day period while the vehicle sat at the Bothwell pound.
If the car had been collected within 24 hours, the bill would only have come to £150.
Jennifer, from East
Kilbride, said: “Even when I said I would be coming to pick up the car, it took days for correspondence to come back from them – which meant the bill racked up even more.
“My ex eventually had to take me to the pound in a cast and crutches to pick up the car to stop the charges from increasing even more.
“The way I was treated was disgusting. I could have fallen on the ice and caused more injury to my leg. I’m disgusted that the bill was allowed to mount up even though I was in hospital, unable to do anything about it.
“I should have been resting. Moving up and down the stairs alone is hard enough, so this was a massive hassle.”
Jennifer is now calling on Police Scotland to reassess impoundment policies during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Imagine somebody did go down with coronavirus because they couldn’t afford to let the charges build up?
“If speaking about the ordeal prevents it from happening to anybody else, then it has been wholly worth my while”, she said.
Jennifer’s ex-partner was informed he could have collected the vehicle on her behalf if he had the relevant insurance documentation.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “The fees are set out in legislation by the Scottish Government. There is an uplift fee of £150 and a daily storage fee of £20.
“When the vehicle was seized the driver was given all the relevant information on how to get it back and the charges associated.
“If the owner wishes to make a complaint she can do so by contacting Police Scotland via the website.”