Towing Co Fined $90K After Towing Navy Seal's Truck

[@ramonazteca252]

years ago, i got a radio call from my boss saying someone informed him they were about to tow my car (a small economy car), because it was parked on top of an underground gas tank (not marked). i told him, i'm 100 miles away escorting a convoy, nothing i can do, let them tow it i guess. he went to the nearest barracks and commandeered about 25 guys and they picked up my car and carried it about 50 feet away. that's the kind of boss everyone should have.

[@Djkommode]

Ever heard of a slim Jim lmao

[@toriless]

and does not

[@ramonazteca252]

@@Djkommode yeah. what are they gonna do with a slim jim? open the doors? then what? lMao.

[@HandCube]

​@ramon azteca once you get inside you can pop the transmission into neutral and push the car.

[@Djkommode]

@@ramonazteca252 you can put cars in neutral without a key. Own vehicles?

[@douglastaylor43]

This towing company knew what they were doing. Probably got away with it for years.

[@starfrost276]

Agreed. Hopefully they can be charged with facilitating the sale of stolen US military items such as the Challenge Coin and the uniforms. Else someone might be able to masquerade around a secure area as a Navy SEAL!

[@Vykk_Draygo]

@@starfrost276 Um, I don't think you're going to need to worry aobut those items allowing someone to impersonate a Navy SEAL more successfully than they already could. Challenge coins are not an official means of identification, and uniforms are already easily obtainable.

[@snex000]

You mean the same thing they do to us peasants which is perfectly legal? Why exactly do professional murderers get a pass?

[@donaldleggett]

@@snex000 Why don't you seek out one of these Professionals and ask them? Plenty of Team's watering holes in that area. Maybe you can have a group discussion.

[@Djkommode]

@@snex000 would you rather speak Russian or Chinese? Because those professional murderers are keeping us safe.

[@AzathothLives]

I remember hearing about someone who had their house foreclosed and sold while they were deployed. They'd set up automatic payments, but some bank glitch had stopped them a few months in. No one ever contacted them, and the first they knew something had happened was when they drove up to their house and found someone else living in it. The worst part about it was that they had lost all of their personal and family possessions, since they'd either been sold or thrown out as the bank cleared the house to move in someone else. The bank got annihilated by fines, as they'd broken this same federal law to sell the house and evict the service member. IIRC they got hit with a two million dollar+ fine after calculating damages for all the lost personal property on top of the house.

[@vilefly]

Bad deal. Should have been a larger settlement. Banks don't show mercy, therefore deserve none. Can't imagine how far the bottom of my stomach would have dropped out at that doorstep.

[@jbman413]

Good!

[@Fuckyoutubecensorship1]

​@vilefly I agree.

[@AcousticGString]

I heard one similar but the guy lived in an HOA and they hated his house, it was a tri-level and it didn't conform to the neighborhood. He was deployed and when he came back his house was completely gone, they had leveled it totally to build a new one. The lawsuits commenced and the guy obviously won a ton of money but he could never get back his property that they had disposed of while he was gone.

[@damstachizz]

Settlement should have forced the bank to pay however much money was required to dig up and sort through the garbage dump until at least 50% of his thrown out personal items were recovered and restored to the best condition possible. $2mil, $20mil, $200mil, tough tatties. Pay up.

[@Cohen.the.Worrier]

Yeah, I bet that general manager was shocked. Shocked that he didn't get away with it this time.

[@davidbeppler3032]

Had a friend get deployed overseas. His company fired him for it. The companies lawyers almost had a stroke when he came back with a JAG lawyer 2 years later.

[@thisismagacountry1318]

What was his settlement?

[@oldbutnotdead1]

That's one thing that is stressed to Reserve and NG personnel. Any company they work for is legally required to maintain their jobs if they get deployed. They are also not allowed to take any action against them for fulfilling their normal Reserve/NG duties. I remember a Reserve unit that did their two week annual training at our 2E unit in the UK one year. Two of the nurses worked at the same hospital and both got disciplinary notices sent to their homes in the States. Luckily both were married and their spouses contacted their liaison back at their home base and took care of it.

[@ianbattles7290]

Please tell me they fired the mental midgets that fired him.

[@toriless]

Yeah, repo'g a Navy Seal has got to be great PR. If Jesus had a car they would repo it too.

[@communitycollegegenius9684]

@@toriless I'd repo and sell jesus' car. Let him come to court.

[@MrMithosriot]

This happens in San Diego (and around any military installation) all the time. Taking advantage of young service members is a common practice. Good to hear the Sailor won.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

Too bad family can’t garage their vehicles for them to hide them. Or protect them.

[@CHMichael]

@@arribaficationwineho32 you would think they can find space on the base.

[@billfusionenterprise]

3 card monty?

[@billfusionenterprise]

""E-1 and up"

[@Djkommode]

Makes no sense. A towing company can’t tell who’s military who isn’t. Towing companies take advantage over everybody.

[@MrSirwolf2001]

Back in the late 1980's an Army buddy of mine went on 30 days leave. While he was on leave, he was declared dead for about 30 minutes before it was caught and reversed. The amount of financial and banking headache that the 30 minutes caused him was unreal.

[@billfusionenterprise]

60 minutes did story on that. death master file is not a nice thing to be on if alive

[@ianbattles7290]

It is appalling how it only takes 30 seconds to ruin your life, but it can take months/years to undo the damage.

[@sarowie]

@@richardcranium1776 death people still owe taxes. I think the IRA will be the agency that is most willing to help you get back alive to fill you taxes.

[@zielscheibchen7773]

@@ianbattles7290 he was dead. that is ruin enough. he was brought back to life and should be thankful for modern medics. if they were not there in time, the other part would not have been his issues anymore.

[@Doubie.]

I’ve had a friend that was retired for a week I can imagine

[@mr.funkalicioussplendiferous]

When I was in and deployed, I would park my car in long term storage through the NEX. They would start it periodically, make sure the battery was charged, wash and wax it before pick up, etc. It was a small charge (usually around $60 for a 6 month deployment). This not only protected from towing off the street, but also protected against repossessions and auctions, as they could not claim ignorance to the vehicle belonging to a service member...

[@jbman413]

Never heard of that pretty cool!

[@funnyfarm5555]

My son was deployed in the Coast Guard on a cutter for 6months. They had anyone that needed to, park their vehicle on a specified dock on the base. We had to jump start it when he got back even though he had disconnected the battery, but small price to pay.

[@Ronin7477]

better than ours in the army, where it was poorly guarded or cared for, and there were consistently break ins while in the massive lot.

[@mr.funkalicioussplendiferous]

@Ronin7477 wow! The Navy really took care of us in that regard. It was a secure lot with 24 hr DoD security. When there was a hurricane, they got all of cars to a safe spot so they wouldn't get flood damage.

[@THE-michaelmyers]

I enlisted in the USAF in Dec of 1975. That summer 1975 I was bitten by a Timber Rattler. I was 17 at the time and my father's insurance carrier paid all of the hospital bills except for about $18,000. About 2 years later the hospital attempted to get a judgment against me. I was in California at the time serving and this happened back in Georgia. My 1st Sgt called me into his office after he learned about this. He informed me about what he called the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief. My Commanding Officer got involved and had the JAG office on my base send that hospital what in essence was a "cease and desist" letter. The hospital stopped all actions and simply wrote off the debt! These protections are VERY real!

[@davesnothere8859]

That bill was your parents when you were 17.

[@THE-michaelmyers]

@@davesnothere8859 Yes it was. In fact, moving it directly to being my responsibility helped with the Soldiers and Sailors later. There is a lot of this story being left out. My parents could not afford to pay that bill. Later having to pay the garnishment most likely would have put them in bankruptcy. (this was before the law was changed) It was easier to assume the responsibility. My thinking the day I was at home dealing with the Hospital was I could handle the garnishment better than my folks. Once I got back to the base and my mom sent me that letter is when I started asking around about how to handle that issue. I still have a copy of that letter JAG set to that hospital. Side note, about 13 years ago my mom passed away in that hospital.

[@toriless]

$18K in 1975 was still a lot

[@toriless]

Probably same act renamed and revised.

[@THE-michaelmyers]

@@toriless If I run the numbers correctly today it is worth almost $100,000. I was in the hospital for a long time. That dang snake almost killed me.

[@danlmcleod1]

Steve, there used to be a requirement to have a base sticker with an expiration date you had to display on your windshield. That requirement went away a long time ago. If I remember correctly, not long after 9/11. I think the reasoning may have been that the sticker was an obvious indicator that the owner was either military or a federal employee and could make them a potential target.

[@bryanschmidt7336]

I concur. Pre 9/11, the government facility I worked at used window stickers for site access. After 9/11, every vehicle passenger had to present their ID badge for site access. Doesn't excuse the towing company's behavior or their ignoring the other evidence, but there probably was no base identification on the vehicles

[@skrilla7664]

Correct.

[@kennethjohnson4280]

Dan, You have it 100% correct.

[@jimtalbott9535]

I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska at that time - I remember those changes. Used to be 1/2 the vehicles around town at the time had those stickers.

[@07Ranger]

When I went in back in 2002, they were still required and being issued out on USMC bases.

[@keinlieb3818]

I was in Ft Huachuca, AZ and deployed to Iraq and the registration lapsed and it was sitting in an apartment complex in Sierra Vista. The apartment complex called to have my vehicle towed and the tow company and police told them they weren't allowed to tow it because it was registered to a service member and they couldn't tow it until they got ahold of me. Well, because I was in Iraq, they couldn't get a hold of me so it sat there the whole time I was deployed.

[@jbman413]

Good!

[@tissuepaper9962]

Exactly as it should be.

[@jonathanweintraub]

Ok… but then you were in a base town. Sierra Vista only exists for that base. The odds were it was a service members car. If that had happened where I live I doubt the police would have been called, and it would have been towed.

[@JKlein713]

When my daughter was stationed in Grand Forks, ND the apartment complex she lived in had signs that told tow truck drivers, essentially, if they were unsure of a vehicles status, don't tow it, call the building manager.

[@ianbattles7290]

I never understood why people are so reluctant to spend 30 seconds verifying *before* taking action. It's a lot less work/money to do things right the *first* time!!!

[@tbelding]

@@ianbattles7290 That money and work isn't done by the truck driver. They get paid by the tow. It's someone _else's_ problem if it turns out to be a bad tow.

[@bdp-racing]

This happens far too often. I worked with a guy that had his Ford Mustang towed and auctioned off while he was deployed. He spent 3 years going to court and got nowhere and eventually got out of the military being extremely bitter towards the state of Arkansas.

[@toriless]

Well, it was a Ford Mustang so you kind of lost me there. It is like a Porsche 911 claiming poverty, no smart and sexually secure person gets a Ford Mustang.

[@RoseNZieg]

I always hear great stuffs about Arkansas. /s

[@glennrishton5679]

I am a little surprised that the military didnt stem up and help although military lawyers seem more interested in hanging service members rather than helping. Another step to take is calling once congressman and they can energize the base to help.

[@anthonyegreene]

​@@torilessyeah, we should make a character judgement before we decide to protect someone's legal rights. If you're a "bad person" we get to ignore the law and do whatever we want. 🤡

[@cobracommander9138]

@@anthonyegreene Relax it's just a Mustang joke.

[@al1395-y3d]

If the punishment of a crime is a fine then is only illegal if you're poor. Grand Theft Auto should include jail time.

[@FuburLuck]

Not in some countries. They base the fine as a % fraction of your income/wealth, so it hurts proportionally.

[@davidh9638]

Anybody's car. If there are enhancements for military, they should be on top of that.

[@billfusionenterprise]

@@davidh9638 good luck with that, allot of tow companies are crooked, first thing they do is file a lean on car once back at yard

[@connork9745]

I believe all fines should be 1.5 times the profit of the crime. If no profit has been made than yeah the fines we have now would work.

[@Zt3v3]

@@connork9745 That is not a bad idea.

[@onebadapple83]

Always great to hear of a towing company getting what’s coming to ‘em!

[@niveknospmoht8743]

Predatory towing is becoming more and more profitable. You didn't mention whether or not these members got compensated for the loss of their trucks. 90k fine is nothing for what they've been getting away with. Going after the Landcruiser was blatant theft. Landcruisers bring big bucks at auctions. They were probably watching that vehicle for months before they snagged it in the middle of the night

[@JustAnotherMutant]

They used to have those base stickers, but in 2005 people raised security concerns over the fact that the sticker identifies the car off base as well. The Air Force discontinued them in 2007, and by 2016 all services had discontinued use.

[@MikeTango12Y]

Yup I can confirm that this isn't a thing anymore. Though I see some officers still put their little rank stickers on the glass.

[@radam8966]

In the mid 80's at Knox, Post Stickers were supposed to be on the bumper of the vehicle. A number of people put the stickers on a plaque and stick it in the window when coming on to post and remove it once they had left. It wasn't necessarily for security but prevent being targeted by the cops. They started enforcing the policy just before moving on to my next duty station, so I have no clue as to what went on after.

[@noppornwongrassamee8941]

I got out of the Army in 2007. AFAIK, windshield stickers were still being used and there was no warning that they were being discontinued. This is the first I've heard of them being discontinued.

[@JustAnotherMutant]

@@noppornwongrassamee8941 , if you search for "army discontinued base decal', you'll see an Army PA release about Ft Rucker. If you read that, you'll find the Army discontinued them in Sep 2012.

[@gregkrueger331]

@@noppornwongrassamee8941 they were, gate personnel check just all ids instead now. Any vehicle as long as it’s legal with tags and insurance can enter bases so having the stickers anymore is moot. Also, they weren’t fully phased out in 07, each branch had their own dates for some stupid reason. The Navy stopped in 2013, the USMC in 2016. Not sure about the others or the rest of the government though. Some say it was a safety thing (which I agree to an extent) but it was mainly a cost saving effort.

[@Druffis]

90k is almost nothing. They should have been fined WAY more.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

Seize their machinery

[@frankstavalo5788]

Death by firing squad, no reason to take advantage of military personnel that way.

[@SeanBZA]

Well, the seals will make sure that they will regret it for the rest of their lives, though with that particular team that could only be as long as it takes to take them from their houses at midnight, and the trip either to a point 15 miles offshore, with the big bag of chum, or to the mine shaft on that old abandoned prospect in the desert, where they can experience zero G for 11 seconds.

[@Natediggetydog]

They weren’t fined at all, it was a settlement, which means the owner of the vehicles agreed to the amount

[@michaelryan3818]

$90k is almost 3 times the national average income. It's a bit more than nothing for most people

[@skrilla7664]

I live in VB and this was a huge deal. We are the largest active duty service area in the entire US. All over the local news

[@joedance14]

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were many cases in which some of the biggest banks (Wells Fargo, Citi, etc) foreclosed on homes where the mortgage payments were fully up to date. In some cases, the homes belonged to deployed service members. There was no notice, the bank personnel (supervisors and management) did not follow proper procedure or the law, and the families of deployed service members were kicked out onto the street. It was disgraceful!

[@bayoumeme7743]

my BIL had a flat on I-95 Around Dayton, FL and by the time he got picked up and went home got his spare and came back the truck gone. He filed a theft report and one year later he found it when he got a notice for the state that a new title was being issued. Low and behold it was a towing company. When confronted they tried to hit him with fee's and storage for a year. He got the police involved and had to sue them for damages.

[@SeanBZA]

Friend went to collect an illegally towed military vehicle, and they wanted money. He went back from there with the invoice, and instead his boss called base security, and he came back to collect. just did not have any money, but instead the base wrecker, and an APC loaded up with 15 fully armed, with live ammunition, tear gas grenades, and wearing full body armour, security personnel. No handcuffs, they were not going to arrest them, the towing company got told the first one to interfere would be shot, and the rest would be gassed. 5 minutes later left with the vehicle. Security was glad for the exercise, they had not had anything other than practice for months.

[@himoffthequakeroatbox4320]

* lo

[@domdrty]

I'm stationed in this area and remember hearing about this. There are a ton of service members and retired service members in this area Unfortunately there are a lot of shady small businesses around military installations that prey on service members. They don't care about these laws until they get fined. I'm sure this tow company knew and did this before. Hopefully they get shut down.

[@Djkommode]

Your politicians don’t care to change parking laws either

[@carriebartkowiak]

Yep. Most of the people who live here in the Hampton Roads area are connected to the military in some way, since we're home to the largest concentration of bases in the world, representing every branch. You've got businesses here that almost deify the service members because they know without them, they wouldn't have a customer base...and then you've got predatory companies (or just their very ignorant employees) like this.

[@CoreXion_]

Steve, when I lived on a US military base there was a requirement that all service members and their family members that lived on the base had to have their vehicles registered with the Provost Marshal, and they were given a sticker to be displayed on the windshield of the vehicle. The placement of these tags varied, but they were a way of identifying if the car or person driving either lived on or worked at the base since the stickers were different colours depending on which. This security was tightened since 9/11 to include photo id checks of all persons in the car when driving onto the base, along with additional security checks and measures. I am not sure if the process of issuing a sticker is still in place for all military bases, since there are different security levels for the different types of military bases, and it has been several years since I have been on a US base. I have also lived in the Virginia Beach area and have had family live on or near the base. The practice of towing companies doing this is something that is actually taught to service members, or at least from what I can recall, taught to those stationed at the base since 1990. Tow companies will hook up a car and tow it if they see military tags or ID on the car and in some cases sell the car. It has been one of the things I remember appearing on WAVY TV 10 every few months of service members that work in the Navy having their cars or trucks towed because they were parked in long term parking while the sailors were deployed. The military often will give a list of approved places for sailors and soldiers to park so as to avoid being towed by companies that target such marked vehicles. There have even been a few instances where family members who went to greet returning sailors returned to the parking lot to find that their cars had been towed while they were on the dock waiting for their family member to disembark from the ship. Since this has happened during the 1990's and is still continuing some 30 years later, that is a testament to how little has changed in that area.

[@deusvult6920]

They stopped it in the Army after the recruiter station got shot up in 2015 or so

[@jayjaynella4539]

Since most bases are on large lots of land, surely there would be room for the cars to be parked on the base, even if out in a field. Then the towing problem is solved.

[@anthonyegreene]

​@@jayjaynella4539I've seen it handled that way.

[@matthewl67]

DOD stopped issuing those stickers a few years ago. There were a couple reasons, not the least of which was that was a pretty identifying marker.

[@tayzonday]

Why is the justice department seeking a civil settlement with the company and not criminal prosecution against its management? Is it because “department of civil rights” is the prosecuting department? Why not lock somebody up in federal prison for this? Is it because it’s specifically a civil infraction? Would love to hear Steve’s analysis on this.

[@davidlanham99]

I thought you were oppressed. So you're okay?

[@kenyattaclay7666]

If it doesn't fall under a criminal statute then they cannot be charged with a criminal violation.

[@fartzinacan]

It is sometimes easier to get a civil conviction instead of criminal. Criminal prosecution requires a whole lot more work and they may not even win. Whereas winning a civil case can be just as effective, require less expense, quicker to get through the courts, etc.

[@6StimuL84]

I thought grand theft auto was a felony?

[@fartzinacan]

@@6StimuL84 I think they'd have to prove that the towing company acted with criminal intent, wouldn't they?

[@debshaw680]

You also have to ascertain if the service member is alive. I used to work in self storage. If the service member was deceased you had to try to find the next of kin and try to collect from them. We used to just offer them the contents because it wasn’t worth going to court over what was inside.

[@toriless]

Storage Wars !!

[@jamesmclean4495]

That's. Nice of your company the relatives have enough grief already they dont need any more frustration that is a a company that has some. morals

[@jbman413]

Thank you

[@XanaxGrey]

I spent time in VA Beach with the Navy in the early 2000s. There is no doubt in my mind those vehicles were identified and towed BECAUSE they were owned by a service member.

[@markmonfee1478]

REMEMBER THE SIGNS DOGS AND SAILORS STAY OFF THE GRASS I HATED THAT PLACE

[@stevebell4906]

@@markmonfee1478 but they sure loved that Navy pay dropped in their community every other week!

[@jbman413]

@@stevebell4906 NAS Memphis that what it reminds me of they did not like the 25000 students, but they sure like the money. Dec 78 to Dec 79. Things don’t change much.

[@CDK_Angelus_Mortis]

When it comes to entering or exiting a military installation, there is no hanging tags or anything of that sort. We scan our CAC cards with the MPs (Military Police) in the entrance

[@patriotlightning4699]

Steve, I always comment your videos that have anything to do with towing; I have been in the towing business for 30+ years, and have owned my own towing company since 2011; my company ALWAYS gives military, LE, and other 1st responders at least a 50% break on towing and service calls for their personal vehicles, and many times we won't charge them at all, depending. As the owner, I try and personally handle their calls b/c I don't expect my employees to do the work for free, and they do get paid a commission. We are on rotation with 4 different municipalities and the State of Alabama; and we tow for a number of private garages and dealerships. I don't do a lot of "non-consent" towing, but my rules are very strict when we do. I would never dream of towing/impounding a service members vehicle, and IF we ever did something like that without prior knowledge I would not ask them to pay. The way we work with LE, Military and other 1st responders always translates into more business for us, not to mention basic good will all around. Being in this business, I despise other towing companies that prey on the unfortunate. Same as doctors, cops, and lawyers--- we can't all be lumped into one crappy category.....!!

[@toriless]

LEO, actually

[@halfcrazedrob]

Some State’s DMV ask if you are an active duty service member so your registration will flag for being subject to the Service Member’s Relief Act.

[@DrSee-mm3zw]

This has been an ongoing problem since long before I served in the 1980’s. Towing companies prey on us. There were times at tech school that towing companies would drive through our housing units (off base) and tow our cars while we were in training on base.

[@billfusionenterprise]

just look for one star towing companies

[@andrewk8636]

Am I missing something or are people parking in random parking lots or what's going on? I'm genuinely confused. I would think they'd park in the military base or something

[@billfusionenterprise]

@@andrewk8636 there are tow companies that are real bad (lots of one star reviews) that somehow never get shut down

[@robinkuruda5249]

Then prey on them…

[@davesnothere8859]

@@andrewk8636 if they don't live on base why would their car be on base? These guys are enjoying the privilege to serve their country they aren't in jail. My experience from car dealers to barber shops to towing companies, if it was around a base it was set up to steal from 18 year olds who don't know better.

[@philvanderlaan5942]

I knew a guy who was stationed at NaS Norfolk, very close to Virginia Beach who found his car gone , he reported his car stolen 15 minutes later a towing company reported to the police that they were about to tow the vehicle from the spot the vehicle was reported stolen from. As I was told in that locality the tow company has to report the vehicle BEFORE being towed.

[@MustPassTruck]

If only military got special protection from squatters taking their home when they are deploeyed.

[@2004RADMAN]

When they come home they can take care of it very quick. Just get your squad to show up in uniform with practice guns. I think most squatters would just leave quickly.

[@jamie1224]

Everyone should have this protection.

[@keithe2150]

I find this most upsetting. I would wish them. Good luck with this. It seems like squatters are planting themselves all over the place.

[@Djkommode]

It’s about a towing company

[@keithe2150]

@@Djkommode yes, the article is about a towing company but I think the person is indicating that Home squatters are going into servicemen persons home while they’re on deployment and taking over their house at least that was my understanding and that this is not protected

[@ianbattles7290]

They took his car and ended up having to buy him a house!!! I'd love to see that general managers face when he opened up the letter from the army lawyers!!!

[@brax2364]

Steve, I don’t know of any military installations that still issue vehicle access stickers. I believe DoD stopped doing that several years ago. When I enter a military facility I show my ID to the sentry at the gate. Some installations have card readers that scan the bar code on your ID. If good the light changes to green, the barrier goes up and sentry gives you a thumbs up.

[@jbman413]

Post 911 they were removed for safety

[@jackarnold7887]

Virginia Beach, Ft Story, Little Creek Naval Base , Naval Air Station Oceana are all located in the same general area and the entire areas is crawling with service members! This towing company saying they didn't know about the federal law is very hard to believe...

[@SapioiT]

Please put the link to the shop, in the description. That way, people will see the link, and buy from there, instead of asking you to sell t-shirts and other things.

[@starfrost276]

That might be considered inviting some kind of unlawful retaliation. I know if I was in their shoes that I would be thinking of many different ways to show them the error of their ways without ever getting caught. Its almost literally in their job description for heaven sakes!

[@Vykk_Draygo]

@@starfrost276 Please read the post you responded to again. It's in reference to t-shirt sales.

[@rowdy7480]

Thank you for covering this, Sir.

[@mr.funkalicioussplendiferous]

Steve, there used to be a window decal that would denote whether someone was an officer, enlisted, NCO (Air Force), reservists, or civilian employee. I know back in the mid 90's to 2001 that these decals were used (as I was active duty at that time). They have gone away now (USMC was the last, and they retired them in 2016). Now, you scan your DoD ID at the gate.

[@toriless]

The other agencies have done this for decades not years. Gates, doors, computers are all locked and have been so for decades not years. Shoot, I bet they do not even fill your USB ports with epoxy !!

[@JordansDroid]

Long time listener, first time caller here. Just placed an order for a shirt. Can’t wait to rock it.

[@johnmcnaught7453]

If I owned the towing company I would be more concerned with the fact that victim was a NAVY SEAL !!! 😂

[@darryltaylor4408]

I had a couple of occasions when my vehicle had to be towed. In both cases my vehicle was towed and placed in the towing companies lot. It both cases there were narcotic medications and money in the vehicle. In both cases nothing was missing. This is in Seattle WA. Thanks Steve I appreciate your work.🧸

[@edwardpate6128]

This kind of stuff was rampant in Norfolk when I was home ported there in the early 80's, seems like not much has changed.

[@funnyfarm5555]

I got deployed one time with 16 hours notice, so one never knows how much time you have to get things in order. luckily I was housed on the base.

[@tfh535]

Fines are just the cost of doing business, companies just build it into their budgets.

[@starfrost276]

They probably even have a way to put it all or mostly on their insurance or something...

[@davidfryer9218]

I guarantee most small towing companies do not have fines built into there expenses. I used to insure several of them. I remember one was a husband and wife with 2 trucks. 90 grand would have put them out of business.

[@billfusionenterprise]

@@davidfryer9218 although if I was to guess this was not a basic tow company, it was one of those who has a ton of one star reviews ones

[@davidfryer9218]

@@starfrost276 insurance doesn't cover fines. No different than if you get a speeding ticket. You don't get it paid by your car insurance .

[@ianbattles7290]

"If the penalty for a crime is a fine, *that law only exists for the poor."*

[@edwardmeade]

I read this the other day in our local news. What I and a lot of others are asking is "who called the towing company?". This was towed off of a DOD facility! There is a second chapter to this story that we haven't heard yet.

[@jbman413]

Yep sometimes your own buddies screw you as well hopefully by accident

[@tomhaire4758]

Steve, good video, FYI they no longer use stickers on vehicles entering military bases, Now you have to show a government issued ID card that allows access to military installations. This is applicable to most installations.

[@toriless]

Oh? Like the FDA, FBI, CIA, etc. has done for decades. Welcome to the 21st century, DOD. In another 30 years MD's will catch up too. I doubt the FTC even will since they are all is useless as George Costanza.

[@GeorgeVCohea-dw7ou]

Eh, they should give out placards, stickers or other visible identifiers, when a vehicle might be somewhere for a while.

[@sarge420]

In my 29yrs (9 deployments - Desert Storm, Turkey, Djibouti & Afghanistan) I've seen this happen, but its usually the spouse who was given "Power of Attorney" from the service member sells and moves.

[@boldpredictionssports]

The worst part is most have no clue tell they get home either.

[@davesnothere8859]

difference is that is legal, you gave them that power.

[@neileskew3454]

Every deployment I been on sadly😢

[@albertstephen2426]

29 and desert storm? Wasn't desert storm in the 1990's ?

[@boldpredictionssports]

@@albertstephen2426 I'm guessing 29 years of service.

[@mechanicalelizabeth]

In Virginia Beach, or anywhere in tidewater. It's easy to tell if a vehicle is owned by someone in the military. Just look at the windshield and see the base stickers.

[@btorr2945]

One other benefit we had was reduced interest rates while deployed. My bank/mortgage co. was quick to reduce the rates after verifying eligibility. (They were getting automatic payments) However about a month or so later the mortgage company started sending me letters wanting me to verify I was still on orders. I think three months in a row. they threaten to retake the difference with interest. I finally sent them a “nasty gram” stating how poorly they act toward the military being I sent them about 4 copies now of my orders, how they expect some soldiers who may not receive their mail and can respond quick enough. I stated all the orders sent verify how long I am on orders, that they would certainly know when I am off orders and if they continue to send these letters I would take other actions. They quit sending them. Just amazing what soldiers have to worry about other than protecting a country that has people like that treating them poorly.

[@tissuepaper9962]

The nastygram is a powerful tool.

[@dalefowler1678]

I was a tow driver and had this come up! Fortunately when I heard the car was owned by a deployed member, I spoke with the owner (a veteran as well as myself) and we finally found his company command and held his car at NO COST till the member was able to retrieve his car!

[@jeremyortiz2927]

The stickers that you're referencing are no longer used for two reasons 1) we went to 100% ID checks after 2001 and 2) as an anti-terrorism measure to reduce off base visibility in 2005.

[@scottcooper4391]

Since I left Active Duty Service in 1995, I wasn't aware of these changes, but they make sense.

[@Fazzel]

When I was in the Navy back in the late 20th Century I never got a sticker. I always had to show the Marine at the gate my ID.

[@toriless]

but what of you left in in your laptop, they only check it upon entry.

[@BusArch42]

Bad OPSEC to advertise

[@befall]

The military stopped using vehicle identifiers for active duty service members on most bases and installations for various reasons including OPSEC, stickers being left on sold vehicles, and other issues related to it being too easy to ID soldiers outside base.

[@whearts]

Messing with a Navy Seal? Is the tow company building still standing?

[@billfusionenterprise]

better yet, late night training exercise?? (you never want to be in one, trust me)

[@bobo1234TT]

That would be justice....

[@Djkommode]

Or you can ask the city to change their parking laws who actually employ tow truck companies. You’re hanging the wrong person.

[@toriless]

"Lock them up"

[@rabidwombat6665]

@@Djkommode except these federal laws over-right the city laws and the city/ business owners in the city should be aware of them.

[@manuelgaetan]

People in Virginia Beach, VA, know better than to tow a car without ensuring it is not a military member.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

Ben saying "Hi Again" from Idaho, above ZAGSFAN plate, Steve's RHS

[@topherwhite370]

My brother got sent on a secret deployment during Desert Storm and his wife was going to be evicted. She called my mom and my mom said, “I’m calling the President.” Ok mom. She called the White House and was told she had to write a letter requesting to speak to the President (which is a nice way of saying, ‘not gonna happen’). She faxed a letter that day (back then she had to go to a specialty place and pay $1 per page for a fax). To our shock, she got a call the next day from an Air Force general letting her know that the situation was taken care of. Go mom!

[@nhansen197]

We've heard about this case before and find myself thinking that there is still something we don't know. Why was a tow company going onto a military post/base and towing cars. The more I hear about it the more I suspect that they were just going onto base and towing vehicles that looked like they'd been sitting for a while. In fact, I wouldn't be one bit surprised to learn that they knew they were towing vehicles of service members who might be deployed. I hear about so many abuses by towing companies I'm beginning to wonder why the companies aren't being charged with grand theft auto. It seems our legal system has a huge loop-hole where people can get away with extortion and auto theft simply by obtaining a tow truck and getting a business license.

[@mikmik9034]

The 'serviceperson' is whisked away so rapidly that the parking/storage company cannot be notified of the departure? It is so secret that person leaves in the middle of the night unnoticed? The 'government' cannot have a 'Military Deployment possible' notice to put on the Dashboard or fastened to the storage door?

[@rationalbushcraft]

My dad was retired from the air force and he had a sticker on his car that showed he was retired but still allowed on base. I always thought it was cool since he was a high ranking official he would get saluted and waved in without question. We would go on base for the BX and he could even get free flights if there was extra room. What was weird is it is not like a passenger plane. There were jump seats that folded down with webbing to sit on. Not very comfortable for long flights.

[@thisismagacountry1318]

You don't complain about free flights in the military. 😂 They're FREE.

[@rabidwombat6665]

@@thisismagacountry1318 Oh yah catching a hop is a pain even for active duty.

[@SeanBZA]

@@thisismagacountry1318 I signed the authorisation form for the insurance once. The only time they would actually send that form in was if you actually crashed in the aircraft and died. Otherwise not worth the paperwork, just any new base you got to fill in the form once for filing. The insurance was 50c, once off, merely paperwork, as the state actually guaranteed the payout. Only once I was worried about the form, when I was leaning out the door, holding the belt of the FE and acting as both audio relay and safety harness for him. Best landing though in that aircraft type, slightly marred by the 20 ton fire engine keeping pace with us next to the runway, with a foam cannon armed and ready. But we did have to land, wheels down or not, seeing as the fuel was down to zero.

[@thisismagacountry1318]

@rabidwombat6665 I remember. Got on at Andrews AFB once on a trip to Kelly Field in San Antonio back in the early 80's.

[@jbman413]

Crew comfort was never a concern with Navy aircraft. At least you had seats

[@gandydancer823]

Back in the early 70's I went to Little Creek Elementary School. My step-dad was stationed at N.O.B. A military presence is an understatement in that area.

[@jonathanlyons3491]

My father in law got drafted into WW2.. While "in a fox hole" (as he describes it) he got a letter from his former college saying that unless he moved it, they were going to dispose of the motorcycle he left on campus.

[@shaggy5777]

Before my Dad retired from the military he had a sticker on his bumper for the base he was working at.

[@brucelytle1144]

Ben is checking out scenic Idaho!

[@denmikseb]

We used to have a window decal and would be waived on to the base at the gate, but with the advent of terrorism a few years ago the decals were removed and we had to show military ID card to get on. We were advised to remove any indication of being in the military from our vehicles. I am retired now and don't know if that is still the case.

[@toriless]

It is

[@ppgwhereeverett4412]

My nephew is a Navy Seal in San Diego. He's a nice, quiet kid ! Always has been. I would not want to be on the receiving end of his anger !!

[@billfusionenterprise]

better yet, the whole seal team

[@toriless]

@@billfusionenterprise wake up dead

[@billfusionenterprise]

@@toriless nope, just wishing it, ever hear about the boat captain who went swimming in san deigo bay?

[@misterswan3131]

I love that your so modest about it your the best

[@duaneb193]

There are still a few contractor based facilities that use a base sticker, but they are the oddity now since DOD went away from their use several years ago. ID card scanning is required for admittance to military bases/sites now because of the 9/11 security issues since it's the only secure method. It was also done because too many people would sell their vehicles and not remove the decals for one reason or another, creating another security issue for the facility (you can see old decals on windshields and bumpers as a form of vanity or that have been expired for years)

[@toriless]

Same for other federal building / gates.

[@3PercentNeanderthal]

"so good to animals but so mean to people" The duality of man I think. Every episode of this show explored and taught a moral lesson and ended on a positive note. Such a show would not be made today

[@blondeboudicca]

First let me say KUDOS for bringing to public awareness the information that’s designed to protect our military personnel a protection they most assuredly deserve. And kudos to the judge giving the navy Seal a well deserved judgement. I retired from a 27 year career as a patrol Sergeant on a medium size municipal police department. When I get bored and a bit nostalgic I love to watch Lehto’s Law. It’s informative and keeps me breast of the changes in the law. But the biggest reason I chose Lehto’s law to stay current is quite simply his laugh is delightful. He has a wonderful sense of humor and irony. I’ve come to a place when I simply look forward to a daily dose of Steve Lehto laughter. Thank you Steve for helping make my day! Coffee and Lehto’s laughter is all I need to start my day off on a happy note! 👍

[@toriless]

It is not the first time he has addressed it.

[@rabidwombat6665]

There is another one I believe it was a part of the Patriot Act. I had to do with banks trying to foreclose on deployed service members houses. If your home was foreclosed on while deployed the bank then had to eat the remainder of the mortgage and essentially pay your home off for you instantly. Now this is to take into account if your payments were being auto withdrawn from your account and the bank just stopped taking the money out it is on the bank, but if it was being payed by a spouse and the spouse stopped paying it then it would be on you and the Patriot act would not apply to you.

[@marqueshairston1173]

All military personnel have a gate pass sticker on the windshield of there personal vehicle. Also the gate sticker colors are different based on the personnel (rank). You have to be blind not to see the sticker. All sticker are located on the lower left hand side of the windshield. But some have the sticker at the top of the windshield in the center. The Norfolk Virginia area aka the seven city’s have all four branches of military.

[@igotaction]

They stopped the DoD decals on cars a while ago

[@davesnothere8859]

Am I the only one who was proud of that dod sticker?

[@victorvaughn4128]

I live near two military bases in Washington state, both have stopped putting decals that allow vehicle onto the base. We now must stop and show ID to get on base.

[@brett76544]

normally there is a DOD sticker for registering the car on base normally in the top center. sometimes with experation date on both sides.

[@chrishagreen3988]

They went away yrs ago.

[@PatrickJDoyle-bw3fu]

We used to have DOD stickers on our windshield, showing the installation name and a serial number that belongs to the member, they stopped doing that so as to stop military members vehicles being targeted by the bad guys.

[@macroman91]

Steve, as a matter of operational security, military members should not allow their vehicles to betray the military status of the owner.

[@MrWarren1991]

So someone who worked for a pizza company that delivered to a military base almost exclusively, No there is no hanging tag, your DOD ID is scanned at the gate EVERY TIME

[@volvo09]

How would you get in to deliver pizza?

[@joebot86]

​@@volvo09 guest pass, or a dod ID, depending on the arrangement.

[@volvo09]

@@joebot86 thanks. It's probably something that can be prearranged for big enough local business like a pizza shop? Or only takes a moment at the gate?

[@MrWarren1991]

@@volvo09 You get a DOD ID card that is scanned at the gate...

[@tdgdbs1]

We used to have Department of Defense decal on the windshield for base access. No longer use due to safety concern.

[@WaylonX76]

Of course it’s Virginia Beach. When you get a chance, look up Charlie Falk. He had a reputation for specifically targeting young sailors at his “buy here/pay here” lots, tricking them into rates nearing 50%. I believe he ended up on a federal watchlist.

[@rustytaylor3387]

Typically if you are owed money by someone in the millitary all you need to do is contact the C.O.'s office and they will usually take care of this.

[@mballer]

Why doesn't the military have storage space?

[@sittingindetroit9204]

The bases do have parking lots but....many times I was unexpectedly deployed for incidents around the world. Sometimes it was for a week, other times it ended up being months. Being in the military is sometimes not as "convenient" as being a civilian who can schedule events in their lives. This is especially true for members that are in special units like the Seals.

[@jeromethiel4323]

Why doesn't the military pay more? Why don't service members get treated better? It's just how it is. Nobody wants to pay for the people injured in the line of duty. What makes you think they are going to pay for parking?

[@bludrak1301]

Steve, someone else has probably stated this, but there is never something issued by the base to identify a service member. It makes them a target for espionage. People do put things on their vehicles, creating a significant security concern, but they make that choice themselves. At the gate your military ID will be scanned, and if you are a visitor there are other screening procedures that are base dependent.

[@jess_o]

Virginia Beach? Once you exclude the tourists, I think half the population is stationed at Little Creek or Dam Neck! And yes they should all have red or blue tags on the windshield unless that's changed lately

[@finkelmana]

More than VA Beach. The military population of the Hampton Roads area is very high. While the Navy is the largest military branch here by far, others branches are here as well. There are Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard bases here, too.

[@PI-dc4ul]

There is usually a window decal, prominently displayed that includes an expiration date, and can inform you other information about the individual.

[@boikatsapiens499]

Ben still behind the Idaho plate.

[@bobcounts4507]

Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act. Steve, would you do an informative segment on this? A little review is good for the older guys who are in and a great thing for the newbies. Thank you.

[@SuperFrank6666]

Ben behind ZAGFAN tag.

[@doornik1142]

LOL Google thinks this comment isn't in English because of an extra space.

[@TNTom67890]

you got me laughing. I remember when I was in college I got a ticket under my windshield for parking in the parking lot without the tag. Despite having the tag in the window. Half the info on the ticket was for my car such as my name and license plate number. But the make, model, and color were incorrect. What they ultimately concluded was the contractor that they pay to monitor and issue the tickets got my car confused with the car next to mine.

[@toriless]

Most smart lots have time and lot number only.

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@toriless did you forget that there was and still is such a thing as a metermaid?

[@coffeecup3177]

Virginia Beach ? You would think that if the tow company tried to find the Lien Holder and it just happened to be Navy Federal Credit Union it might have set off a red flag to investigate a little.

[@Articulate99]

Always interesting, thank you.

[@ablebaker8664]

"No sir, I have no idea how that wrecker truck came to be completely disassembled and reassembled on the roof of the police station last night. Security video of several black clad figures? Did you recognize any of them? Of course not, sir. My team would never do such a thing. No problem, sir. Happy to help. See you at the BBQ on Saturday. Thank you, sir. Good to be home again." 😂

[@SeanBZA]

More like no idea about the group that took the wrecker truck, hog tied the driver, and left him naked on the freeway, zip tied to a post, and the truck was never found, though there was a wreck that was found burnt out in the desert a year later, just nothing identifiable on it. Absolutely no idea at all, terrible thing to have happen to such an upstanding member of the community, especially the superglue applied to his butt cheeks, and his hands, attaching them to the cheeks as well. That and the syrup, and that nest of fire ants next to the post as well.

[@nukingitout7591]

There use to be decals on the windows for military to be able to drive on base but they were discontinued over 10 years ago due to security concerns

[@jamie1224]

You shouldn't have to look for 'clues' to see if someone is active service. There should be a department you can call to verify. Edit: If there isn't a way to find out, then you shouldn't be held responsible. 2nd Edit: I don't know if there is or isn't a way, it's just not talked about here. But the video makes it sound like you have to guess and hope you're right.

[@ianhealy2233]

There’s a website to check. It’s very easy.

[@jamie1224]

@@ianhealy2233 Do you have the website name? And thanks for info, just curious.

[@thereverendcoyote]

People that have access to military base have a sticker issued from the DOD. Part of that sticker has a number that tells when the sticker expires and color coded to tell if the person is civilian, enlisted, type of officer (officer, field Grade, General/flag) and what installation that issued the sticker.

[@jame3shook]

I have also seen service members abuse these 'protections' intentionally. They buy something, stop making payments, are unreachable at the address is "on base", and the property can't be repossessed as either the service person (male or female). Yes, the owner can file liens through courts, but its nearly impossible to do and typically spend more than the property is worth.

[@iknklst]

And that NEVER happens with anyone else who intentionally stiffs the finance company and hides the vehicle at friends and family members residences or businesses, never ever.

[@kannathraymaker]

I just looked up the details on the stickers used to identify a car as being authorized to enter a military base (or post or what have you). I was surprised to find out they were discontinued in 2007. However, when they were used, they were placed on the top right corner of the front windshield of each car registered by the service member. Now they stop each car and check ID, the notice said.

[@marlinmealer6506]

I see Ben hiding behind the Licence Plate

[@vegiimite]

It doesn't even have to be a mistake by the bank. If there is a security or fraud alert on your card the bank will invalidate your card and issue you a new one and at that point you need to update all the people getting automatic payments with your new number.

[@jon_j__]

Wait wait wait. In the US, your automated payments (rent, mortgage, utilities, etc) are linked to a card? They're not automatically transferred out of your bank account on a schedule?! (Or direct debited, in the case of utilities.)

[@toriless]

I had one expire with no replacement despite a few calls and the told me it would arrive in time. I autopayed my utilities with it. I took months to fix, thanks BECU !!

[@SuperFrank6666]

First.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

Ya got the first two letters right, but the others shrank down to 've 😉😊

[@DaveBigDawg]

Almost, maybe next time

[@protocol6]

This should be a movie franchise. Frogman: First Tow.

[@paulahayden5831]

Steve, service members that are admitted onto Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Ft. Story are not issued hang tags. Those members must present a current military ID to get on base. POVs belonging to service members do not have stickers identifying that vehicle as belonging to a person in the military. DOD stickers were eliminated years ago.