Army Nurse Returns From Deployment to Find Car Towed, Sold

A 1972 AMC Gremlin might not seem like a treasure to some, but to U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Alexzandria Kelly it was.

The old car was given to her by her father, a decorated Korean War veteran, when he died, The Tampa Tribune reported.

When Kelly returned from active duty in Africa last year, she discovered her beloved car had been towed from her Broward County townhome community and sold for $525, WSTP.com reported. It seems the car got a flat tire and Kelly’s homeowners association decided to have it towed off, the station reported.

West Way, the towing company involved, ultimately ended up selling the classic car. That action prompted a federal lawsuit filed recently on Kelly’s behalf.

By selling the car, the lawsuit alleges, the company failed to follow federal laws that protect active duty military members from losing their cars and homes while they’re deployed, the St. Augustine Record reported.

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Kelly is asking for unspecified damages related to “mental pain and shock, suffering, aggravation, humiliation and embarrassment together with the loss of the Gremlin,” the Record quoted the federal lawsuit as saying.

The towing company acknowledges that it didn’t reference the Department of Defense database before putting the Gremlin on the auction block, the Tribune reported. Owner Craig Goldstein said he is a military supporter and offered to give Kelly the $525.

Kelly, however, wants a jury trial, the paper reported.

“Believe me … We did not know who she was,” Goldstein was quoted by the Tribune as saying.

What do you think should happen here? Tell us by commenting below!

Photo Credit: Image from the AMC Gremlins Facebook community

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