NJ woman charged excessive towing fee after being hit by stolen car on I-76

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Toms River woman turned to the Action News Investigative Team after she said she was excessively charged for a tow truck in Philadelphia.

A stolen SUV slammed into her car on the Schuylkill Expressway early Sunday morning.

Jo Carlo says she was driving to drop off her friend in South Philadelphia.

"All of sudden I got hit. I got dragged 250 feet. I almost went over the wall. They hit me in the passenger rear," Carlo told investigative reporter Chad Pradelli.

She says she tried to flag down police but they were chasing the five carjacking suspects who allegedly stole the BMW.

Instead, she says a Casablanca Towing and Recovery truck showed up.

"The tow driver told me they were rotational for the police department. That's why I didn't call 911," Carlo says.

The only problem is Philadelphia police say that's a lie and Casablanca is not a part of the police rotational tow.

Carlo says when she tried to retrieve her vehicle the next day, she was given the wrong address, and she needed to pay $1,500. After some negotiation, she says Casablanca reduced the amount to $850.

"I wasn't giving them $800. They are out of their minds. Somebody's got to be held liable," she said.

Under the city's rotational tow system's consumer bill of rights, a tow of her vehicle's weight should only be a flat fee of $215 and $25 per day storage fee.

"I think they are fraudulent. They are solicitors and I think they are taking advantage of people," said Carlo.

We reached out to Casablanca. A manager told us he couldn't comment on the fees and circumstances surrounding the tow.

And within an hour of our call, Carlo was told the vehicle would be released free of charge.

"He said we are getting it out of here. We want the news station out of here. Get them out of here. We don't want no problems . Well you caused the problems upon yourself and you're in big trouble dear," Carlo said emphatically.

A police spokesperson tells Action News, Carlo and others consumers in her position should report a complaint to the Department of Licenses and Inspections, which handles licensing for tow companies.