SoCal towing company auctioned Camp Pendleton service members' cars while they were deployed, DOJ claims

[Zorro]

An Orange County towing company sold off nearly 150 military members’ cars, some while service members were deployed overseas, the federal government claimed in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

San Clemente-based S&K Towing signed a contract in August 2020 to tow cars for the Marine Corps Police Department at Camp Pendleton, a massive military base housing about 42,000 active duty military, according to a U.S. Department of Justice complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Of the cars it towed through April 2025, the company “auctioned, sold or disposed of” as many as 148 in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which mandates extra legal steps before a company can foreclose on or enforce a lien against an active-duty service member’s property, the Department of Justice wrote in the complaint.

“The men and women who serve in our nation’s military deserve peace of mind in knowing that their legal rights will be protected at home while they are away serving the United States,” First Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli said in a statement. “It is unacceptable and illegal for a business to sell or dispose of these vehicles without abiding by the laws that protect servicemembers.”

S&K Towing declined to comment for this article.

The company had access to a Department of Defense database to check if service members were protected by the law yet had no “policy or practice” of searching the database to make sure the vehicles it was selling didn’t belong to people that law protected. In some cases, S&K Towing sold vehicles that still had military equipment, uniforms and awards inside, according to the complaint, or after they’d been informed that the owner was deployed overseas.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-26/camp-pendleton-towing-company-doj-lawsuit

[Deuxcents]

1. Sue the hell out of them. This should never have happened

[WmChris]

2. They'll pull a trump

Claim bankruptcy pay a fine pocket a profit open up under a new name.

[TomSlick]

5. I'm not convinced that would work.

The SMCRA provides that in actions brought by DoJ, the court may impose a civil penalty of "an amount not exceeding $55,000 for a first violation; and in an amount not exceeding $110,000 for any subsequent violation." At 150 violations, that's a maximum penalty of $16,445,000. Of course no court would impose that large a penalty.

Bankruptcy is not my area but the bankruptcy code provides that a "fine, penalty, or forfeiture payable to and for the benefit of a governmental unit" is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. Of course the "Turnip Rule" applies - as in you can't get blood from one. However, I would expect the bankruptcy court to completely liquidate the towing company. If I was representing the DoJ, I would be looking for a way to pierce the corporate veil and get a penalty against the business owners.

At a minimum, the pucker factor for these scum ought to be really high.

[Bread and Circuses]

3. Poorly written and makes sense

It says Camp Pendeleton PD had the contract with the towing company .
Where were these cars parked? ON BASE? If so, the tow truck would need to provide paperwork to the guard at the gate to leave.

This article is worthless .

[Junipercity]

4. I truly believe they are trying to destroy

The morale of the rank and file in order to decimate the US military. If this were true, what would drumpf and his minions do differently from what they are doing now.

Putin is laughing his ass off.