The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against a California towing company, alleging that the company violated the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act by auctioning off the vehicles of deployed military personnel without a court order.
According to reports, the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California towing company Tony's Auto Center, alleging that the company illegally auctioned off a vehicle owned by an active-duty U.S. Navy lieutenant without obtaining a court order as required by the Servicemembers Relief Act (SCRA). release.
of LitigationThe lawsuit, filed in the District of Southern California, alleges that Tony's Auto Center illegally auctioned off U.S. Navy Lt. Jonathan Lionson's 2011 Mazda 6 while he was deployed to the USS Bunker Hill. Lt. Lionson had left his personal belongings inside the car and parked it at a friend's house before departing for his deployment. The Chula Vista Police Department impounded the vehicle for expired registration and Tony's Auto Center towed it to its facility. The company then auctioned off the car just two months later without obtaining the required court authorization, according to the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Lt. Lionson returned from deployment in March 2023 to find his vehicle had been sold. Although Lt. Lionson no longer owned the vehicle, he was required to continue making loan payments to Navy Federal Credit Union totaling more than $2,500, according to the complaint.
More than 400,000 complaints were filed by military members, veterans and their families.
— consumerfinance.gov (@CFPB) May 23, 2024
of SCRAFormerly known as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act (SSCRA), is a federal law enacted to protect military personnel who have been on active duty. The act provides protections in areas such as rental agreements, evictions, mortgage foreclosures, civil lawsuits, and automobile leasing. (Related: 'Disaster Ship': Troubled Marine Corps ship wins big award for combat readiness)
The SCRA requires towing companies to obtain a court order before auctioning military-owned vehicles. “When towing companies ignore their legal obligations under the SCRA, it can have severe financial consequences for service members,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “We hope that this lawsuit will encourage other towing companies to review and improve their policies to ensure the rights of all service members are respected.”
