Topic: Need some advice

[Mo]

Hey Guys,

It's been a long day. I was away from my garage for about 3 weeks, and I went today to work on the bike. When I opened my garage, much to my surprise, the bike was missing. I found a note from the local police dept, saying that they smelled gas, broke into my apartment, and impounded the bike out from the garage. I was never notified (no phone call, or anything, and if I hadn't shown up today, I would never have known).

The front door was broken down (I spent all day replacing the door) and now I need to get my bike. THis all happened on March 29, about 9 days ago. It was taken to the city's impound lot (Sterling Heights, MI) and it sitting there now. I'm going to collect it tomorrow morning, but I am wondering what my options are.

I know I'll probably have to pay fees (anyone have any idea on the costs? they wouldnt tell me on the phone) but it seems wrong that they would just take the bike from me without calling or anything.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[754]

 Very strange..hope you get it back intact. Bet you never leave the gas on again.

[jamesb]

unfortunately the pigs will and can do what they want. i do not see why they would have impounded it.the pigs here are c**k suckers. why would they leave a note you think they would do a vin check and contact the registered owner. just another reason why i cant stand the pigs.sorry to hear about your situation i hope it goes well and they didn't damage the bike. by towing it. if their like the dip sh!ts here they will wrap straps around lift it up and go. no securing it nothing.   

[flybox1]

dude! Piss off a neighbor?  The smell of gas is not a crime, last time I checked.
Hope you go at it politely, at first. 
You should not have to pay any fees.  Your bike was not a hazard, right? 

[DH]

If the bike was leaking gasoline anywhere inside of a building, it's probably considered (legally) a fire hazard, and thus, a danger
to others in the building and the building itself. Prob better to get rid of any fuel in it before you store it again obviously.  Sorry to hear of
your misfortune. Cost at impound will probably be based on how many days the bike has been there, plus towing. They'll probably
want proof of ownership of the bike before they'll release it to
you as well........Again, sorry to hear. Hope it works out ok for you.

[bjbuchanan]

50-85 a day depending on lot, plus like 65 for the tow. Those are normal numbers for cars, sure hope for your sake it is lower storage fees for bikes

They can and will do whatever they want unfortunately. I'm young but have dealt with enough of their crap to know you aren't gonna win without forking over cash.

[harisuluv]

Dang, someone said it--you have a neighbor who really doesn't like you or what you are doing in there!

[lucky]

IF the police smelled gas many other people could be affected by your actions.

The police had a valid reason to take action before any lives or property were lost.
You should thank the police because you could have been in prison for manslaughter.
They saved you.

[Ace2cool]

you could have been in prison for manslaughter.

If we're speaking in hypotheticals, then that would have only been IF the building had, in fact, burned down.

[Bandit18]

unfortunately the pigs will and can do what they want. i do not see why they would have impounded it.the pigs here are c**k suckers. why would they leave a note you think they would do a vin check and contact the registered owner. just another reason why i cant stand the pigs.sorry to hear about your situation i hope it goes well and they didn't damage the bike. by towing it. if their like the dip sh!ts here they will wrap straps around lift it up and go. no securing it nothing.   

Sounds like someone has had trouble with the local Authorities...

[dave500]

i dont know how your laws work where you are but thats #$%*!!how can cops take your bike from your private place?because it leaked fuel?couldnt it just have been made safe?now what if where its taken to burns down?what #$%* is that?was it at a storage shed site or something?

[Retro Rocket]

IF the police smelled gas many other people could be affected by your actions.

The police had a valid reason to take action before any lives or property were lost.
You should thank the police because you could have been in prison for manslaughter.
They saved you.

What a load of utter bullsh1t.   Sorry Lucky but sometimes you need to switch your brain before opening your mouth....
Have you never heard of kerosene or gas heaters..?  Just as "dangerous"   

i dont know how your laws work where you are but thats #$%*!!how can cops take your bike from your private place?because it leaked fuel?couldnt it just have been made safe?now what if where its taken to burns down?what #$%* is that?was it at a storage shed site or something?

I would be irate, it doesn't take an unsafe amount of fuel to create a smell, just residue, they shouldn't have a leg to stand on, if that is illegal where you live i would find another state or country to live in, what a joke.. I would see a lawyer, no notification means no storage fee's to pay, i would point blank refuse to pay a cent. Where i come from, garages generally have fueled up vehicles in them,  thieving arse-hole self righteous bastards....    My garage smells of fuel, we are all #$%*ed now.... Quick, call the fcuking police....
Unbelievable....

[Bob Wessner]

Your avatar says you are located in Ann Arbor. Is this where this occurred? Why was it taken to Sterling Heights for impound? Ann Arbor has some fine impound lots of its own.. with ludicrous fees I might add.

[dave500]

its a great way to get old junk cars removed for free?ring them from a phone box and say it stinks.

[bwaller]

Right or wrong it is what it is. Sucks, but I doubt you're not going to win much here.
 
That said, I hope for your sake the towing company didn't just throw a tow strap over it either. I would think if there is any damage to the bike you might have a leg to stand on.

[flybox1]

too many have assumed it WAS leaking gas.  we need an update on what the cops said as to why they took it.  hope you pass on the door repair bill to them.  its fkt up.  they just cant take your sht without notice.

I still think it was a PO'd neighbor....

[Kevin D]

they smelled gas

Gas smells are getting lots of attention around here.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Consumers-Energy-turns-over-report-to-state-as-part-of-investigation-into-Royal-Oak-home-explosion/-/1719418/19660666/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/rr24f5z/-/index.html

February 29th natural gas leak in Royal Oak:

[Bob Wessner]

That was an astonishing incident that one was.

[bollingball]

Maybe I missed it but are you renting this place?

[Mo]

So this place is actually my grandmother's condo. Me and my mom bought it for her, and are slowly furnishing it for when she moves in this summer. As I don't have a garage here in AA to work on it, I had it at my grandmother garage at her condo. Neighbors apparently called 911 because it smelled like gas. When the police showed up and mangled their way into the garage, they saw a pool of gas.

Here is the note they left:



I went to pick the bike on today. Costed me $250 in impound fees, and another 75 to have it towed. $15 per day in storage for 9 days plus tow fees. Not crazy unreasonable in as of itself. I took it to my aunt's place who lives nearby so that someone is always watching it. (I could have bought a lot of parts for $325!). When I talked to the guy at the lot, he was sympathetic, but wasn't really able to do anything. I don't really blame him. My uncle think I should file a complaint with the PD.

When I inspected the bike, I realized I had foolishly left the petcock in the opposite side of the stop. I thought I closed it, but quite the opposite. Fine. My fault (I knew the #4 carb float was set too high) so I guess it probably was "leaking."

Here's the worst part. I now have a dented tank and two broken turn signals (left side). Of course the initial tow company couldn't care less about any damage incurred. I'm more erked about the tank as it was lined and now I am sure the liner is compromised. Fortunately, I have a back up but that's hours down the drain in lining, cleaning etc. And the turn signal are easily replaceable but a pain nonetheless.

So total damage for this nonsense:

$170 for replacing the front door, painting, locks etc.
$250 impound fees.
$75 towing fee.
$ Some amount for replacing damaged parts.

Seriously, I could have gotten another CB....

[bwaller]

I'm sorry for you trouble but you really can't fault the cops or fire dept. But man that tow truck cowboy needs his ass kicked. How hard is it to do the right thing? 

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Sorry you had to deal with all that.

Had an ignition source been close by the gas fumes could have ignited. Happens often. Too bad they didn't just move it out of the garage but then it could have been stolen or caught fire out there by a cigarette butt. Too bad you can not prove the bike was not damaged before the towing company messed it up. Find out who the tow's insurance is and file a claim. Never know. Perhaps small claims court? But, after all, the petcock was left turned on.

[jamesb]

unfortunately the pigs will and can do what they want. i do not see why they would have impounded it.the pigs here are c**k suckers. why would they leave a note you think they would do a vin check and contact the registered owner. just another reason why i cant stand the pigs.sorry to hear about your situation i hope it goes well and they didn't damage the bike. by towing it. if their like the dip sh!ts here they will wrap straps around lift it up and go. no securing it nothing.   

Sounds like someone has had trouble with the local Authorities...

Yes I have had my a$$ beat by 15 F**King pigs before but at least 4 of them woke up the next morning and new they where in a fight. And another ones kids where probably born with black eyes beings I kicked him like a mule in his balls.

[bjbuchanan]

Yes I have had my a$$ beat by 15 F**King pigs before but at least 4 of them woke up the next morning and new they where in a fight. And another ones kids where probably born with black eyes beings I kicked him like a mule in his balls.

In the immortal words of Rick James, "Cocaine is a hell of a drug"

[Mo]

F$#K the 5-0!

[lucky]

I would look at it as a day when your entire life could have changed for the worse.

But you came out of it smelling like a rose thanks to the police.

Like I said, if you called them and thanked them they would think you are a very wise person.

[Mo]

Lucky, You're probably right, but I'm still stubborn/annoyed so I won't be sending flowers anytime soon 

I am keeping it in perspective though. I few hundred dollars isn't more than a *potential* incident, but like I said, I phone call would have been nice. (Even after the fact, I never received a notice of the incident and just stumbled upon it by chance. I could have been months before I found out if I had been more busy).

[dave500]

it wouldve been too hard to just throw some sand over the spillage and turn the fuel tap off,now lets see,a fire crew and a couple of cops couldnt figure that out.

[Vinhead1957]

Lick your wounds and more on. It would cost more time and money than it is worth! Next time you will remember and sometimes lessons cost money.  You should be riding and forget the pain(wallet) remember the lesson. Good  luck in the future

[Bailgang]

its a great way to get old junk cars removed for free?ring them from a phone box and say it stinks.

Wish it were that easy. I had agreed to replace the engine and trans in a Ford Crown Vic but the owner never got the engine or trans I needed and ended up abandoning the car in my driveway for over a year. Local police cried a million tears about it being my problem not the towns prob and that it would be a waste of tax payer $ for them to tow it away. I'm not making this up either. Gee that's funny, I just so happen to be one of those taxpayers and all I'm asking for is a return for my tax $. Once I figured out my legal rights I ended up calling the local salvage yard, explained the situation and they took it for free.

I must say the $15 per day in the impound is more reasonable than I would've expected but the damage to the tank and turn signals would definitely have me pissed too. I'm sorry to hear what you went through.

[dave500]

crown vic?was it cop tyres and suspension?cop motor he couldnt source?

[Bailgang]

crown vic?was it cop tyres and suspension?cop motor he couldnt source?

Except for a spun bearing in the engine the car was actually in good shape in fact initially nothing was wrong with the trans until he towed it to my house. He brought it over on a tow dolly but didn't remove the drive shaft which is a big no-no with late model Ford transmissions and by the time he got to my house smoke was coming from underneath so I crawled underneath and the trans was literally smokin hot, it was so hot trans fluid was bubbling out from the trans pan gasket. I informed him that not only did he need another engine but he needed a trans too and that extra cost of the trans is what pretty much killed the plan. I found a source for an engine and trans but he never came up with the $ and never returned phone calls so it just sat until I got fed up with it.

[Eddie]

seriously... they did have the right to go in to find the problem but how hard would it have been to open the door to air it out, turn off the gas...

[setdog]

Just go file a claim against the PD in small claims court.  You might get a judge that appreciates
Motorcycles. Claim would be too small to be worth calling a lawyer.

[Stev-o]

seriously... they did have the right to go in to find the problem but how hard would it have been to open the door to air it out, turn off the gas...

Not defending the cops but doubt they would think "oh, let's check the petcock, it might have just have been left on".

It was more like "damn ol bike is leaking gas, call a wrecker to get it out of here ASAP before it catches fire".

[dave500]

and then get a kitty cat out of the tree,,BANG"

[cabrala]

I'm a bit late to this party and a tad confused about where the bike was being stored. You keep referencing a "garage" but it seems like the bike was inside the condo? I can understand the danger if it was in the condo, but if it was the garage then wtf?

All in all at least you got the bike back although the dent in the tank and the crushed blinkers would set me off. Is there really nothing that can be done about that? I luckily haven't experienced a tow (yet?) but that seems like a load of horse-#$%*.