LAPD Recovers 145 Vehicles Taken by Van Nuys Company Suspected of  ‘Bandit Towing’

Impounded vehicles that have been illegally taken by a Van Nuys company, alleged to practice predatory towing, have been safely recovered.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) held a press conference outside the Van Nuys Police Station announcing the recovery of 145 vehicles from two locations operated by a business that goes by several different names – including Legends Auto, Legends Enterprise and Legends, Inc. 

Police authorities said they’ve received numerous complaints about the Van Nuys business  from citizens who said they were the victims of predatory towing practices, also known as “bandit towing.”

LAPD Lt. Laurel Friedlander described how these practices work. Drivers involved in minor traffic collisions are approached by a “witness” who offers to supply video or photos of the accident to the driver’s insurance company and they obtain the victim’s phone number. The driver then receives a text message, claiming to be from their insurance company, informing them that a tow company is going to take their vehicle to Legends. 

Friedlander said the drivers are instructed to sign tow agreements under false pretenses.  Drivers later attempting to retrieve their vehicles are given an “inflated invoice with numerous illegal fees,” and Legends then refuses to release the vehicle until the invoice is paid in full, which could reach upwards of $15,000. 

She described one case where a woman refused a tow from Legends at the scene of an accident and drove her car home. The next day, her car was taken from her home to Legends. The tow company refused to release her vehicle until they received full payment. 

“That was a straight grand theft auto,” she said.

After an investigation in collaboration with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), National Insurance Crime Bureau, Task Force for Regional Auto Theft Prevention and the Department of Motor Vehicles Investigation Unit, the LAPD executed a search warrant July 9 at the business, where they recovered the vehicles. 

Lt. Joe Dominguez, from the CHP Special Services Division, told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol that predatory towing is very prevalent not only in LA, but throughout California. Every accident that’s broadcast over a police or fire frequency sends illegal tow operators racing to the scene to convince people in a vulnerable state to have them tow their car away. The car is then held until the driver pays an exorbitant fee. 

He recommends that drivers who are the victims of an accident remember the golden rule: if you didn’t request a tow truck yourself, odds are that a tow truck showing up is likely an illegal operator trying to claim your vehicle. 

“Only you can claim who you want to tow your car unless it’s an extenuating circumstance where the disabled vehicle is blocking a major traffic lane or the freeway and a police officer requests a tow truck for you, or you are incapacitated and can’t make that decision,” Dominguez explained. “Outside of that, the tow truck should never come on their own accord to offer that service.”

For drivers who suspect they are the victim of predatory towing, Dominguez said they should notify local police immediately and then contact their insurance provider and tell them they have already spoken to police authorities. 

“The California Highway Patrol recognizes that there’s a need for this to be investigated,” Dominguez said. “So we’re doing our part and really stepping up the enforcement and education on illegal tow truck operations.”