PITTSBURGH — It was the morning rush hour when Diamond Rush got into a crash just before the Liberty tunnels. She says a BJ’s Towing and Recovery truck showed up to the scene as police were working to clear the road and get it back open to traffic.
“They kept saying the car is totaled, it’s totaled,” Rush tells 11 Investigates.
Rush says she has AAA, but feeling pressured, she allowed the car to be towed.
“I was not really functioning right after the accident,” Rush added. “I wasn’t thinking properly.”
The next day, when she called to pick up the car, Rush said she was stunned to hear the price of the bill.
“It’s a crazy amount he charged me, which is $1,800 cash only,” Rush tells 11 Investigates. “Only cash. They included that they weren’t able to provide the receipt until they received the money.”
Rush says she wasn’t able to afford the bill, so her 2015 GMC has been sitting at BJ’s Towing and Recovery garage for weeks, racking up thousands of dollars in storage fees.
“I got a text message saying the current bill is $5,600, I believe, and then I will accept $2,000 cash payment,” Rush added.
11 Investigates went to BJ’s Towing in Spring Hill to get the owner’s side of the story. We tried calling and texting over the course of two days. When the owner got back to us, he told 11 Investigates the person who performed the tow is no longer leasing his trucks or property, but he defended the charges, saying they are consistent with rates commonly charged for similar tows.
The owner of BJ’s Towing and Recovery said once he was made aware of the customer’s concerns, he began working with her to reduce the bill, even eliminating the storage fees. On Wednesday, he sent 11 Investigates a statement, saying in part: “I have decided to waive the entire remaining balance of $2,000 and make the vehicle available for release to its rightful owner at absolutely no charge.”
Rush says she believes she was taken advantage of in an emergency, something the owner of BJ’s Towing adamantly denies.
“It’s wrong, it shouldn’t happen,” Rush said. “We should be reasonable and treat everyone fairly.”
The following is the full statement from BJ’s Towing and Recovery:
“After reviewing the circumstances and considering everything involved, I have decided to waive the entire remaining balance of $2,000 and make the vehicle available for release to its rightful owner at absolutely no charge.
“I have instructed my attorney to prepare a formal settlement and release agreement documenting that the total amount owed will be $0.00.
“I want to emphasize that this decision is not an admission of wrongdoing or an acknowledgment that the original towing charges were improper. There are substantial expenses associated with operating a licensed and insured towing business, particularly when responding to accident scenes.
“As I previously explained, I did not personally perform this tow. However, because my equipment and property were involved, I chose to personally intervene and work toward a resolution rather than allow this dispute to continue.
“I believe my actions demonstrate a genuine effort to resolve the matter fairly and professionally. I have already stopped additional storage charges, previously reduced the balance significantly, and am now voluntarily eliminating the remaining charges entirely.
“I understand you have a responsibility to report the facts, and I respect that. I simply ask that my actions to resolve this situation, along with the full circumstances surrounding the tow, be accurately represented in any reporting.”
My priority is resolving this matter and moving forward professionally."
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