Local Wrecker Penalized for Selling Car

We've been following a Chattanooga wrecker and towing company who is facing criminal charges. Earlier this week the City Council deferred a case against the same corporation, Gant Motors to the Wrecker Board. NewsChannel 9's Erica Green has more on the consequences the company faces.

Harold Gant owner of Gant Motors says on July 10th of last year his company towed a white Toyota SUV to their shop. It stayed there for more than 90 days and the owner hadn't claimed it. So he contacted the state and Gant says their check never said the car was stolen. The state then sent the car's title to Gant in his name and he sold the car.

Wreckers say it' s not unusual for them to sell cars that are left abandoned on their lot or just unclaimed like the one you see over there. But Police say they are holding him responsible for something else and that's for missing a line of the tow report which is crucial. It says: "Do not release this vehicle without the authority of an officer."

" The tow report that I had wasn't really all that clear and I didn't read the narrative he's talking about," said Gant.

Gant says the state shouldn't have let him buy the title if the Police had a hold on it and they cited him. He was also charged with Fraudulent transfer of a vehicle.

I never heard anything on the car I had it at my place for at least 90 days nobody. I wasn't aware of the stolen part," said Gant.

The Wrecking Board voted 9 to 1 that Gant be taken off the district rotation for 2 tows, something that's the equivalent of about a week and a half before he can tow for the district again.

" The tow companies when this is marked. This may be evidence in a case, it may be a stolen car. They can't release it, it doesn't matter what paperwork the state gives them," said a Chattanooga Police Officer.

Gant was charged with Fraudulent Transfer of a vehicle again back in February of this year. He says he was in court on those charges yesterday and did not want to comment until the process is complete.

Gant says there was confusion over the owner of the car.Police say that's because the man who stole it pawned the title and put it in his name.The real owner is an elderly Chattanooga woman who never got her car back.