Paying Someone To Watch My Vehicle. She Passed Away And Her Daughter Had My Truck Towed

Location: Arizona, Maryland

Okay so last May in Tucson AZ I found a woman online who offered to store my truck while I worked a job in Alaska out of state for several months. I would pay her monthly and she had it in her garage/shelter and made sure it’s safe. She also offered to let me store items in the house. She was extremely kind and generous to me and we built some rapport.

We had both signed a contract stating that she would take care of the truck for the payment. Contract said the agreement could be extended if we talk/as needed, but if for some reason I stopped all contact, the truck would be declared abandoned 3 months after August 31st.

Summer went by, I sent her payments and she sent updates of my truck. We just chatted a little checking in. I was going through a lot that summer, and I was aware she had numerous health challenges.

Anyways. My job took a bit longer than expected. I lost it due to my own worsened health issues and had to fly to my moms house in Maryland instead of back to AZ. I can no longer drive due my health. I sent her texts that now went unanswered. I assumed she was dealing with health things and didn’t wanna add to her stress with more messages. I sent payments for 2 months in advance as October passed by. No acknowledgment. My text again went unanswered and then I called and it went to voicemail. I finally decided to look her up and found out she had passed away almost 30 days ago. I was shocked and saddened.

I had some local friend drive by her place to check things out and saw the truck was gone and house empty. Found out from neighbor that the out-of-state daughter came by and cleared it all and had it towed.

Tow company frankly doesn’t care about the situation. They said the property owner authorized the tow and had declared the vehicle ‘abandoned’. If the daughter was somehow already the property owner or representative (this was 2 weeks after the passing and I still have some suspicions there), then I suppose the tow company was in the right to just follow that order. But the tow shouldn’t have happened in the first place cause it was legally parked there via the contract me and the woman had. I was never contacted by anyone at all about the passing, truck being there, or tow before or after. I thought the woman was still alive and I’d arrange a friend to get the truck for me (since I can’t drive now) after she responded.

I am arranging for someone to pick up my truck and it’s going to cost me altogether around 700 dollars (adding in shipping my keys). Also, the tow company demands cash or zelle payments ONLY which is strictly against Tucson Law stating they must accept credit cards. Not sure what to do on that front…but those demands are illegal. I could report them or try to sue?

Anyways—I tried to dig and find the daughters info. The only number I found didn’t respond to me. I am hoping that she just realizes the mistake and offers to pay, and had my other stuff (I had a guitar, bin of art stuff and camping gear) in a storage unit and didn’t donate/throw it all. I can imagine this situation is a lot for her and she might’ve called the tow in haste , not realizing her mom was watching someone’s vehicle/had a contract. I have no idea.

But I don’t know what to do now. If I can’t find her contact info—how do I see what happened to my stuff and ask for compensation for this tow? And what if she ignores messages or just refuses to pay?

I don’t know what to do. I am facing pretty bad health stuff right now, lost my job and can’t work, so losing this much money and my other valuable possessions when it shouldn’t have happened at all right now is rough.