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Cancer survivor fights to free car from towing impound

Man's newly purchased car towed with title inside
Posted at 11:13 PM, Dec 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-05 23:13:44-05

"I've had cancer for the last couple years," said Bob Shannon. "It's been difficult."

Shannon says difficult and expensive. The treatment costs were so high it forced him to give up everything he had to battle the disease.

"I had to sell my house and my old vehicle to pay my medical bills," said Shannon.

Now in remission, Shannon says he pulled together every penny left to purchase a 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix for $800 in early November.

He says he planned to use the car to visit his children who live in Wesley Chapel. But within hours of bringing it home, the car was towed from his apartment complex.

"I walked out of my apartment the next morning and saw my car was gone," said Shannon.

The complex requires each car to have a parking permit. However the night Shannon bought the car, the office was already closed. In the middle of the night Target Towing, the tow company contracted for the apartment towed the vehicle away.

"It's depressing, it's like your in handcuffs and you can't do anything," said Shannon after dealing with the tow company.

That's because after contacting Target Towing to explain the mix up, he was told he would have to pay nearly $300 to get it back and also prove he was the registered owner.

"The car was so new that the title was in the glove compartment, where it still is," said Shannon.

He says he was planning on registering the car the following day.

Target towing says they legally can't let him in the car to retrieve the title and have told him they won't. It's now been impounded for 32 days racking up more than $1000 in fees.

"I don't have a $1000, I don't have a $100," said Shannon.

We reached out to Target towing who offered to give it back for $700.

But time is running out, the owner says on December 10th, the car will go to auction.

"If I took somebody's car and kept it for 30 days and said oh well it's mine now, I would go to jail," said Shannon.

Managers at the complex told us they explained the mix up to Target Towing as well but were also told there was nothing they could do.

Shannon's apartment complex has since cut ties with Target towing due to resident complaints but for Shannon it comes thirty days too late.

"I just want them to bring it back and put it in any parking spot in here, and everything will be fine," said Shannon.