CALGARY -- The owners of a Calgary pub are on the hook for hundreds of dollars in impound fees after their utility trailer was stolen, then recovered by police.
Stephen and Joanne Lowden own the Pig and Duke Pub. In the early morning hours of June 28 two men broke into a locked compound behind the pub on 12th Avenue S.W. and stole their utility trailer.
The couple reported the theft to police and posted the security video on Facebook in an effort to identify the culprits, but the thieves remain at large.
On Friday July 18 police recovered the abandoned trailer. They called the Lowdens and left a message, before having the trailer towed to the impound lot.
"I received a phone call from a constable,who said that my utility trailer had been found abandoned and that it was at the impound lot." said Joanne Lowden.
She says the impound lot charged her $350 for the two days the trailer was held on the lot.
Lowden wonders why she and her husband are on the hook for the impound lot fees when they are the victims of the crime.
"They’re just coming at me looking for more money from me for something that hasn't been any fault of my own. I even had it locked up," said Lowden "So it's not like I was just leaving it lying around,- you can see them (in the security video) take the bolt cutters out of their truck and cut the lock."
In a statement emailed to CTV, Calgary police offered the following advice:
"We encourage all vehicle owners to carry theft insurance to cover the potential cost of towing, impound fees and vehicle detailing. Appeals for these costs can be made by utilizing the forms provided by the Calgary Parking Authority, which are available at the impound lot. The Calgary Police Service works closely with the Calgary Parking Authority to review all applications."
