A stolen vehicle was found and stored in a pound, at the SPVM request, until an expert investigator could examine it and take fingerprints.
When the citizen was allowed to recover her vehicle, five (5) days later, she was charged towing and storage fees totalizing $241.57. Since these costs had been incurred for the purpose of the police investigation, she asked the Bureau des réclamations of Ville de Montréal to reimburse the amount, but her request was denied.
After analysis, the Ombudsman de Montréal came to the conclusion that it was unfair to charge the victim who had committed no fault and did not participate in the commission of the crime the towing and storage fees incurred for the purpose of police investigation. She, therefore, intervene on behalf of the citizen.
The Direction du contentieux finally accepted her view and confirmed that, in such circumstances, the victim/owner should not pay these fees. It also agreed that when the police no longer needs the vehicle, for its investigation, a reasonable notice should be given to the citizen/owner to retrieve it, without cost. In the present instance, the citizen was fully reimbursed.
In 2008, a new procedure was adopted and implemented by the SPVM: the new rule confirms that whenever the SPVM has a vehicule towed and stored for the purpose of a police investigation, the resulting fees must not be charged to the owner of the vehicule.
