Towing company settles allegations it auctioned Navy lieutenant's car during deployment
CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A South Bay towing company has agreed to settle allegations that it auctioned a car owned by a U.S. Navy lieutenant while he was deployed at sea.
Before leaving for deployment in November 2022, U.S. Navy Lt. Jonathan Liongson placed personal items in his 2011 Mazda 6 and parked the car at a friend's house.
The Chula Vista Police Department impounded the car because its registration was expired, according to the complaint. The car was then towed to Tony's Auto Center in Chula Vista.
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Two months later, the auto center sold Liongson's car at an auction through its agent without the authorization of a court order as required by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Liongson was deployed at sea aboard the USS Bunker Hill during this time.
In March 2023, Liongson returned home and learned that his car had been towed and sold.
Tony's Auto Center agreed to settle the allegations. Under the settlement agreement, the company is ordered to implement new policies to prevent future violations of the SCRA, the U.S. Attorney's Office stated.
Meanwhile, Liongson will receive $7,500 in damages and the United States will also receive a $2,000 civil penalty.
The SCRA is a federal law that protects military members and their families while they are actively serving.
'Members of our armed forces should not have to worry about their cars being auctioned off while they are deployed on missions defending our freedoms, liberties and rights,' said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. 'This settlement should send a strong message to other towing companies that they should not take advantage of our servicemembers while they are keeping Americans safe.'
The Justice Department has obtained more then $481 million in monetary relief for more than 147,000 servicemembers through the SCRA since 2011, according to the attorney's office.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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