Car dealer owner gets car back after vehicle was involved in crime; Denver police waive $12k impound fees
The owner of a local car dealer finally got his vehicle back after it had sat in a Denver impound lot for a year and a half, racking up more than $12,000 in impound fees.
He says how the car got there, though, wasn't his fault, and he didn't have any luck getting it back until CBS News Colorado got involved.
Berhane Gebere is the owner of Colfax Motors in Aurora. Two years ago, he said he sold a 2007 Merecedes to someone. He found out that at some point, another person drove the vehicle and committed a crime, which led to the vehicle being towed and taken to an impound lot in Denver, where it sat for months.
"We are the victim. We have not committed a crime," said Gebere. "I own the car. And the city has no right to seize the car."
CBS Colorado spoke with Gebere on Thursday, who said he, his staff, and his lawyer have been working to get the car back for months with no luck, contacting everyone they could think of, including the Denver Police Department, the Denver Sheriff Department, and the City of Denver.
With the car sitting at the impound lot for months, the impound fees grew each day, but Gebere believed he shouldn't have to pay that money, and now he won't have to.
"I didn't want to give up because the people were doing a mistake," said Gebere.
CBS Colorado contacted Denver police looking for answers and to get clarity on what happened. Denver Police say the vehicle was towed in connection to an investigation and was being held as the investigation was completed. The investigation closed several months ago, but until this week, Gebere was still being told he had to pay thousands of dollars to get his car back.
Gebere was also told the car would even go up for auction this week, with the auction closing on April 6. Within 48 hours of CBS Colorado contacting Denver police, the car was pulled from the auction, and the $12,000 in daily fees that accrued were all waived.
"I'm grateful. I'm excited. I'm really excited, and I'm happy too," said Gebere.
Gebere was asked to pay only $120, which was the amount paid by the city to have the vehicle towed to impound. On Friday, he finally picked his car up. While the car did have some damages, and the keys were missing, he was thankful to finally get it back.
"I really appreciate it," said Gebere. "Thank you for CBS News. You guys are voice for voiceless people, and that's the reason I got my car back."
Denver police say the person who committed the crime and was the driver of the vehicle was arrested for attempted second-degree murder. He was found guilty of illegal discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to three years in jail.
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