I Missed This: How to Lose a Car in 15 Days - ProPublica

[justaprogressive]

Must read!

Description
Local reporters at The Connecticut Mirror heard story after story of drivers having their cars towed and then sold out from underneath them, sometimes in just 15 days. They teamed up with ProPublica to investigate why, how often this was happening and who was profiting from it.

This episode traces the history of the 100-year-old law that made all of it legal and follows the reporters as they try to track down drivers’ cars and confront the bureaucrats allowing a flawed system to take advantage of vulnerable people.

Transcript
Editor’s Note: “Paper Trail” is produced as an audio series. If you are able, we encourage you to listen to the series. Transcripts are for reference only and may contain typos. Please confirm accuracy before quoting.

Getting your car towed is one of those life experiences that is so common and yet will completely ruin your day. That feeling of walking out to your car and it’s just gone. Vaporized. Whatever you wanted to do that day — it’s over. That’s sort of on the low end of the consequences.

But I want to take you to a place where for years, people have been having a funhouse mirror version of this experience. Where this annoying but pretty common thing becomes a life-altering experience.

And this place is called Connecticut.

https://www.propublica.org/podcast/connecticut-dmv-towing-law-investigation

[UpInArms]

1. Journalism done right

[flvegan]

2. Reads like a lot of corruption with very little consequence.

The DMV guy lost his job after pocketing how much money? The tow company, nothing?

Sounds like a Monday in America.

Great article though, thanks for posting.

[pecosbob]

3. This sort of thing happens to many people's homes as well these days.

Crooks working for local governments conspiring to take people's homes away because they can get away with it.

[LessAspin]

4. Connecticut Mirror

ProPublica with an assist.

Incredible piece of reporting..

A little known Connecticut law allowed towing companies to sell cars in as little as 15 days. Then two reporters started asking questions.

On Ep. 2 of “Paper Trail,” we take you through their Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation: propub.li/4up7m1Z

— ProPublica (@propublica.org) 2026-05-24T14:01:27.258Z

[LessAspin]

5. 1998 Dodge Neon

They start the story with Melissa and her 1998 Dodge Neon -- not worth anything to anybody but Melissa and her husband getting to and from work.

Some at City Hall making the reporter look through reams of VIN numbers for days until one employee finally helped.. great story of perserverance.