Woman's ex uses her car in crime, billed $10,000 after police seize it

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A Wyandotte woman gave up hope of ever getting her vehicle back after it was seized in a police investigation. So after a year passed, she was a bit surprised when a $12,500 bill came in from Taylor police.

Deanna Crist admits her ex-boyfriend was wrong in May 2017. She had just recently purchased her 2004 Chevy Blazer and her boyfriend took it.

"He took off in my vehicle and unfortunately I found out it was involved in a crime," she said.

She had just bought it for $2,000 but police took it away for evidence. Crist says for weeks she contacted Taylor Police in person and by phone about her vehicle. 

"I was not getting any response back," she said she even called the company that towed it. "They just told me it was being held in evidence."

So the single mother says she decided to stop seeking answers and instead purchased another vehicle.

"I just gave up because I was informed I would get a letter in the mail or a phone call, I would be noticed," Crist said.

Now it's June 2018, more than a year since it was impounded, and Crist says she finally received an update about her vehicle via a letter from the state and a shocking request for storage fees.

"Stating that I abandoned the vehicle, which I did not," she said. " I went to the police department and also talked to towing and they told me the fee was $12,500. I think it's a scam. I feel that it is a way for them to use the law to make money."

What makes this bill even more puzzling is that Crist says she learned that her vehicle was cleared from evidence in March of this year but wasn't contacted until June.

After hearing the concerns made by Crist., the Fox 2 Problem Solvers went to the Taylor Police Department for answers 

"We dropped the ball at that point from March 7 of 2018 we should've contacted her or made means of contacting her and this issue could've been resolved at that time," said Taylor Police Chief John Blair.

Blair says the department is working to reduce the charges and that his department is working on a solution to prevent this from happening again. 

"I can tell you dramatically that price will be reduced again, we did make a mistake and even the timeframe that it was impounded, we're still going to work with her and dramatically reduce those charges," he said.