Highland Park resident sues city, towing company over seized Thunderbird
A lawsuit accuses the city of violating Bob Nelson’s constitutional rights and towing his beloved car without proper notice or due process
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Highland Park resident Bob Nelson has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city and Troy’s Towing of illegally seizing his cherished 1985 Ford Thunderbird, violating his constitutional rights, and causing lasting emotional and financial damage.
The lawsuit, filed April 30 in U.S. District Court in Detroit, outlines a series of procedural failures and constitutional violations. According to the complaint, police affixed an orange sticker to Nelson’s Thunderbird on March 28, 2024, warning it would be impounded if not moved within 48 hours. However, the car was towed less than 48 hours later, before the notice period expired.
“Defendants failed to provide the Plaintiff with proper notice, failed to provide an opportunity to be heard, and failed to comply with due process before depriving Plaintiff of his personal property,” the complaint states.
Nelson, who is representing himself, alleges that Highland Park officers did not attempt to contact him, even though he lived at the address where the car was parked, and failed to run the vehicle’s identification number (VIN) through the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), which would have revealed his ownership.
“Had the Defendants run the VIN number, they would have seen Plaintiff’s ownership interest in the vehicle,” the complaint says.
The lawsuit also targets Troy’s Towing for holding the car and demanding nearly $500 in fees, including $245 for towing, $15 per day in storage, and $150 to return the vehicle.
“Troy’s Towing refused to release the vehicle to Plaintiff despite Plaintiff’s demands and knowing the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s seizure,” the complaint alleges.
Nelson said the ordeal caused him “emotional distress, humiliation, frustration, and financial harm,” including missed work and expenses to retrieve the car. The lawsuit claims Highland Park’s actions were “deliberate and willful,” violating his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights as well as Michigan state laws covering conversion and negligence.
About two months after his car was seized, Nelson says his house was shot up, and the bullets narrowly missed him.
In an interview with Metro Times, Nelson says he’s so fed up with Highland Park that he plans to move.
“They’re evil money grubbers who don’t bother with doing the right thing,” Nelson says. “They destroyed my psyche. If I had the money, I would have already left.”
The complaint details how Nelson eventually found the car’s title in a box of his late mother’s belongings and, after speaking with Police Chief James McMahon and raising concerns in a Metro Times story, the city agreed to waive fees and returned the Thunderbird to his neighborhood on April 25, 2024. However, the lawsuit notes that “Defendants returned the vehicle only after Plaintiff engaged in public advocacy, causing embarrassment to the City.”
Nelson, a handyman and author, inherited the car from his mother after she died on Thanksgiving in 2023. He sank most of his money to tow the car from Ottawa County last year.
“She wanted me to have that car,” Nelson says. “She knew how much it meant to me.”
He parked the car outside his home on the 300 block of Geneva Avenue, and deflated the tires to deter thieves from stealing it. Then police seized the car.
Nelson has long been frustrated by the city’s handling of abandoned properties, saying cars are being towed without due process.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for lost wages, towing and storage fees, and emotional distress. It also demands Highland Park implement reforms to ensure due process in future vehicle seizures.
Both Highland Park and Troy’s Towing declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
