City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner

The City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner conducted a virtual appeal hearing for Corey and Jamie Locke, who contested the impound of their 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck and associated towing fees totaling $4,457.01. The couple, who have been living in their vehicle for two years and are currently unemployed and receiving food stamps, argued that the impound was improper and that they cannot afford the fees. The vehicle was impounded on March 26, 2025, after being parked on Lincoln Street for more than the city's 72-hour limit. City staff testified that the truck had received multiple complaints and previous notices since the beginning of the year, and that the Lockes were given eight days total time before the impound occurred. When the tow truck arrived, the couple was in the vehicle but it was out of gas and inoperable. A central issue emerged around whether the city should have accepted a "drop fee" of $250 to release the vehicle immediately rather than proceeding with the full impound. The Lockes testified that friends were present with gas and money to pay the drop fee, which would have allowed them to move the vehicle within minutes. However, city staff declined this option, stating it would take 45 minutes to fuel the vehicle and they could not wait. The hearing examiner will issue a written decision within 10 business days addressing both the validity of the impound and the fees. Under Seattle v. Long precedent, if the vehicle owners are indigent and cannot pay, the fees may be reduced or eliminated entirely, and the vehicle cannot be sold to satisfy the debt since it serves as their homestead.