Tow company civics lesson: Pennies = legal tender, deal with it.

[Blind_Io]

[YOUTUBE]Mzc8vS-ac-g[/YOUTUBE]

Genius or douche?

The only thing I would have done differently is to come armed with a copy of the federal statute.

EDIT: Here is what the US Treasury has to say (if anyone is interested)

I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal?

The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."
This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.

So, in other words, the cops and the kids were wrong. The business can refuse payment. However, I believe that because it constitutes a valid offer of payment under the law, the tow company might be bound by other laws to return the car - since payment was offered in legal tender. To keep the car after payment was offered may constitute theft.

EDIT II, The Electric Boogaloo: Fixed the embedding. My bad.

 

[chaos386]

EDIT: Here's a real reply, since you've fixed the video:

Here is what the US Treasury has to say (if anyone is interested)

So, in other words, the cops and the kids were wrong. The business can refuse payment. However, I believe that because it constitutes a valid offer of payment under the law, the tow company might be bound by other laws to return the car - since payment was offered in legal tender. To keep the car after payment was offered may constitute theft.

I think if push had come to shove in his case, the fact that he was paying a fine to release his car and not paying for goods or services would likely be very important. The fine could be considered a debt, and as such they might very well be required by law to take the coins.

 

[Blind_Io]

Sorry, I'll fix it.

 

[Davetouch]

My note; at one point they had four police cars (on film) there, and as he said 7 police officers. I think that is quite too much for what could be settled by a single officer. He represents the law, so must be followed - so where was the problem with that that required six more?

 

[Blind_Io]

I think it was probably more along the lines of hearing the radio call and thinking, "Well this I have to see!"

When I volunteered with the police department that kind of thing happened all the time.

 

[Nabster]

I easily see the clerks point. They're loose, the time it would take to count would be an unfair burden on the business. If he had gone to a bank and gotten them counted and rolled it would be another thing. It would have taken 5 or 10 minutes for the bank to do it.

 

[chaos386]

I easily see the clerks point. They're loose, the time it would take to count would be an unfair burden on the business. If he had gone to a bank and gotten them counted and rolled it would be another thing. It would have taken 5 or 10 minutes for the bank to do it.

I have this feeling that he might have been trying to inconvenience the clerk on purpose.

 

[BlaRo]

Just sayin'...

 

[Nabster]

I have this feeling that he might have been trying to inconvenience the clerk on purpose.

Yes, but the clerk had a valid reason to decline his payment. If the pennies he offered where all in bank rolls, there's no doubt to their value, she would have had no reason at all to refuse them. You can't halfway annoy people and win.

 

[Polygon]

He's a douche.

The question is, why was his car towed? If it deserved to be towed he deserves to pay for it. There's no reason for him to be an asshole. I wouldn't take the pennies either. If he called the cops, then I'd say fine, I'll take them but your ass has to count them.

 

[Blind_Io]

I thought he said it broke down on him the night before.

 

[syncview]

I as a clerk would perfectly accept it, but, I would have asked him to count.. and pause while I'm dealing with other people.

 

[thescreensavers]

Yes, but the clerk had a valid reason to decline his payment. If the pennies he offered where all in bank rolls, there's no doubt to their value, she would have had no reason at all to refuse them. You can't halfway annoy people and win.

Well, on another forum that this was posted on. a member which I think is a cop said.

"I don't think it's actually a law that every person must accept any form of legal tender. Most any business can refuse a customer for any / no reason. I believe the "problem" here is that they're holding his car and acted as a government agent by towing it, therefore they don't have the right to turn away customers as they've got his property and they charge time-based storage fees."

 

[Aston Martin]

Just sayin'...

They take 20% off you.

 

[JipJopJones]

A guy I went to school with got charged $7 for being part of a grad prank (as did the rest of the grad class) so he decided to pay that in pennies. He was suspended. Although after much fuss and problems the suspention was overturned.

 

[tigger]

I think it's brilliant.

 

[Dsemaj]

A guy I went to school with got charged $7 for being part of a grad prank (as did the rest of the grad class) so he decided to pay that in pennies. He was suspended. Although after much fuss and problems the suspention was overturned.

$7? You'd have to pay more for a Pizza day. Pathetic punishment :lol:

On topic though, not a bad idea, but they don't know anything about editing That video could have been edited down to about 2 minutes...

 

[prizrak]

I think one thing we are missing here is state law. The state he is in (Florida I think) might have some law that states that you must accept a cash payment in any legal note.

 

[Polygon]

I thought he said it broke down on him the night before.

Seems like a good reason to tow a car to me. I know here in Utah they sometimes leave those sitting around for a few days. Some places might actually get those off the road a little quicker.

He should have gone a gotten it out of there that night. I still think it's his fault. I personally wouldn't want to leave any of my cars sitting on the side of the road.

 

[EyeMWing]

I want to know how he got away with an $88 towing and storage bill - I've paid $75 to be towed 10 feet.