I-Team 10 update: Victim's story prompts city to change stolen car recovery policy

Posted at: 11/25/2009 1:31 PM | Updated at: 11/25/2009 3:11 PM

An I-Team 10 investigation Tuesday into the city's towing policy got quite a reaction in the community and at City Hall.

Today, Mayor Bob Duffy said he has instructed police to draft a new policy as it relates to victims of stolen cars recovering their vehicles at the city impound lot.

"There's no excuse, no explanation for it. Chalk it up to say a policy that fixed one problem, created another. We are going to try and solve the one problem it created," said Duffy.

The mayor is reacting to the problem confronting 72-year-old Charles Ansley of Rochester. He was the victim of a home invasion on Friday. The robbers roughed him up, stole some tools and took his pick up truck.

Fortunately, Ansley wasn't badly hurt and his vehicle was located a couple blocks away.

But police had it towed to the impound lot and Ansley wasn't allowed to have it back unless he paid more than $200 in towing and storage fees.

He told I-Team 10 he felt he was being victimized a second time.

"It's still out there. I don't have money to get it out. They say they're going to sell it within 10 days," said Ansley.

So why was the city charging its residents to recover their stolen cars? The policy was put in place several years ago to stop stolen car scams that were costly to the city. The mayor says it has had the desired effect of lowering stolen car claims by 45%.

But at the same time, Duffy admits he's been uncomfortable with the policy because of the unintended consequences.

"To have somebody lose a car, have their house broken into, car stolen and have to pay, I'm sorry, there's no excuse for anybody having to do that," said Duffy.

Many of our viewers felt the same way. Calls and emails flooded in to our newsroom after our initial report aired from people wanting to pay to have Ansley's truck released from the auto pound. Others called Ansley directly last night.

Ed and Jean Mathis picked Ansley up at his home this morning, took him to the impound lot and paid to have the truck released.

"It just wrenched our hearts," said Ed Mathis. "I mean, we watched it on your channel last night and we just were amazed at the bureaucratic insenstivity of this situation."

Reacting to the outpouring of support, Ansley today said he was overjoyed.

"It's just what I call brotherly love. You can't beat that," he said.

The mayor says he will make sure the Mathis' are reimbursed.

Watch raw interview with Mayor Bob Duffy

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Elderly car theft victim charged to get his car back 

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