Really? You have to be kidding right? Why didn't you make you acquaintance pay the full amount? He is the one that started the whole thing and is the one who is responsible for it. In the first place the Police Department has nothing to do with tow charges. That is the tow company not the police. If they charged you for two tows then take it up with them. Maybe there is a lesson here for you too in that you don't let someone else drive your vehicles that isn't family and many insurance companies won't cover you or your vehicle if it's operated by someone not on your policy and they get into an accident. As to letting you know about your vehicle and if the person had permission to have it. Was it stolen and reported? If it was then a simple check would have provided that information. Is this person related to you in one form or another? Just what did the acquaintance really tell the police about the vehicle and you and how long had he been using it? Days,weeks or months? As to keeping the vehicle at the police department. They are not a storage yard and do not have much if any room to store vehicles. Responsibility was yours not the towns. It was your car being driven by your acquaintance who caused it. I doubt any judge will see it your way and find for you but then again one never knows as this is Rhode Island.

Hey tuna man, you have a right to your opinion, but sorry you do not see it in my shoes. the tow co had to be called by the pd a 2nd time, so if they had called me to retrive it there would have been no 2nd tow, this is what the problem is, the pd overjumped their authority. i am not complaining about the 1st tow, it was the 2nd and the fact I was never called as the owner of the car, Its nobody's business who I let drive my car, so please do not comment on it. The issue here is what the PD failed to do, and now they are trying to CYOA with this excuse of a ongoing investigation. They released the car upon the 2nd tow call, cant you see that.

@ Dave- Dave, I'm with you on this one. I think the PPD should have contacted you regardless of the manner of the issue. Portsmouth isn't New York City, where the PD doesn't have the resources or the time to contact the owner of the vehicle in question. Portsmouth is a small community. A fact, I think sometimes the local municipality forgets sometimes. The chief shouldn't be giving you flack for your concern of the cost to you for the tow. Maybe the chief needs a lesson in humility. Everybody just doesn't have $120 to throw around on a tow. The economy is kind of tight if the town hasn't been paying attention. Regardless of the circumstances, the PPD should have attempted to work with you on the tow issue. Instead of having to take it to the next level of litigation. Just my two cents.

The problem started and stops with who you let use your car. If they had not been (and I must assume) arrested, then there would not have been a problem nor any tow charges. So the person who was operating your car is the one who should be held responsible for all of the costs here no matter how many times the car was towed. People have to be responsible for their own actions and not blame someone else and face the consequences.

It is not the PD's responsibilty to contact you. Sounds like you didn't contact the station soon enough. Nor does it sound like the town is responsible for paying your friends impound fees.

Tuna Man , you seem like a person hell bent on blaming other people, it doesnt matter who was driving the car, the is reg in my name and I am the owner, so it falls on me, When the aquaintence went to retreive the car they counldnt because I had to be there to release the vehicle to. The PD should have called me rather then the tow co for the 2nd time. You are not going to win any argument with me on this.

@ unbelievable - read the story I never got a call, so how waS i suppose to call the station if I was not aware of the situation. Come on people think before you post. Did you not understand that 4th admend rights were violated, You ever hear of illegal search and seizure, where are we in IRAQ? weather the town is responsible or not, that will be deceided by a judge now, Again nobody seems to address this ongoing investigation that involved this car that was released by the PD that day. Why is the town hiding behind that statement? The vehicle was released to the tow co for the 2nd time. Do you have an answer for that?

Old townie, You didnt read it either, his mother went to retrieve the car that night but couldn't because I had to be there, Hello, Im the owner. and yes my rights were not violated directly, but the PD did not get my permission to search something that belonged to me. and this is what the issue is, once they searched and ransack the car, they called the tow co to release it to their yard, why not call me? and again, why is this issue being hidden behind an on going investigation, the car was released. Your not going to win this argument with me either, the police did wrong here and I or anyone involved should not have to pay a tow charge when other arragments could have been done. You are also jumping to conclusions too, were is the blame, or inocent untill proven guilty in the country, the case was dropped he is inocent in my book, and repaid the $120.00 for the 1st tow. If I get a judge to agree then Portsmouth will be paying me back, and if not I am out $120.00 but it still is not right that the PD do what they do.

I did read the story your friend or his mother should have notified you right away. NOT THE POLICE. That is not their job nor there responsibility. Stop turning this around, fault is fully on your friend sorry its the truth.
It was a reasonable search he was in the vehicle when they arrested him, they have enough reason to search the car. You were in no way violated at all nor was it a violation of any of your rights. Just because the car is released doesnt mean the investigation is over.

Unbelievable, your right to your opinion, if the judge sides with me, Ill get back to you ok. The friend couldnt contact me till the pd let him some 6 hours later, that is why i keep pointing to the pd, not my friend or anyone else. I was the owner of the car again.

It's kind of funny, I went through all the Portsmouth Police reports for October 2011, and not one of those cases has been dropped. As a matter of fact, I think the aquaintance he is refering to was actually wanted on an outstanding warrant for failure to pay.

Old Townie, dont know what you looking at if you dont have a name, so why comment, your assuming, and making an ass of yourself.

resident, your statment is also stupid, why would I take him to small claims, he paid is tow charge. Please do not blog if your going to be a ass.

old townie, your opinion as it is, does not justify my opinion, the blame is not the question, what gives the PD the authority to twice tow my vehicle, to be honest the PD wanted to search the vehicle the tow to the pd should have been on the PD, not me, the tow to the yard would be my cost, but what your not hearing, they could have called me to pick up the vehicle and they didnt. Now lets take another story, the PD decieded to have the vehicle towed to SP Hdq in Scituate, should I be held responsible to pay for those charges too? You talk with a smartmouth, but what if this had been your car and your wife was taken into custody for what ever reason, would you be so quick to say your for both tows, remember being brought to the police station is in custody, your inocent until proven guilty, so again his arrest or what ever reason he was brought into the station is not in the equation. The got towed to PD then it was towed again to the yard at a cost of 120.00 I did nothing wrong, the PD did, and as I stated your not going to change my mind. So keep your smart mouth comments. I am putting this out for other people to beware of your tricky PD and they violate peioples rights, and the case got dropped, good Police work!

old townie, Know I now your an ass, because your wrong on the arrest, so you must be a cop, but your wrong, If you want proof bring 120.00 to pay me when I prove you wrong. I am taking responsibility and there is no actions that I am responsibile for, the PD were wrong, and when I prove it in court, Ill be able to laugh in your face. Thats all I got to say.

David just be thankful they didn't hand you a box of parts and say here is you car put it back together. The town does not owe you your frend owes you. Why do you think everbody owes you you want the town to plow your sidewalk you want the town to pay for your tow take some personal responabilty the world does not owe you.

The only question here is: Did the aquaintance get arrested. The answer is yes. Therefore, the aquaintance is responsible for his actions. Was the arrest valid? Yes. Just because the AG's office chose to drop the charges or did not wish to pursue it does not allievate your friends obligation to pay for his mistakes.

I sympathize with you about the second towing, your right, the PD doesn't give you your phone call immediately. Of course their excuse will be booking, paperwork, coffee and donuts, is what kept them so busy. However, hopefully you will be heard and a change will come on how long a prisoner sits before getting their phone call. However, even if your freind were to get a phone call immediately I wouldn't be surprised that the police will put in that phone call before your friend does. Lesson today, is don't let others drive your car. Can anyone say KICKBACKS!!!

looks like my last post gut cut out, my bad, old townie, please understand your opinion is yours, when the case ends, whatever the result at least I am a man that is not hiding behind a name like old townie, I have the right to question government and that is what I will be doing, not wining, Freedom is just as what the constituation says, dont invade my privatcy without a warrent. Happy 4th of July to you.