Jimmy is a disabled Vietnam War Veteran who lives on a fixed VA disability income and sells the local street newspaper, The Contributor, to make ends meet. He recently purchased the camper van because housing costs in the area are so far out of his reach that he's been relegated to living under a bridge. Having the motorhome was such a huge blessing to him because not only did it provide him with a safe, secure home and place in which he could finally store some of his valuables, it was also his means of transportation around Nashville. If you've ever tried to walk anywhere in our fair city besides the central downtown area, you'll know immediately the challenge this presents to Jimmy. Nashville is decidedly unfriendly towards pedestrians and the distances between service agencies almost demands wheeled transportation, whether a personal vehicle or a bus pass.
The real rub here is that Jimmy had sent someone to the parts store to get the distributor cap and wa awaiting their return when the towing unit arrived on the scene. The technician basically told Jimmy to get out of the vehicle, then hooked it up to the tow truck and drove away with it.
To make matters exponentially worse, the company is now charging Jimmy the towing fee of $150 dollars, along with an outrageous $30/day "storage" fee.
Because Jimmy won't receive another disability check until September 3rd, the bill at the towing company will be so large that he'll be forced to give up the vehicle.
I ask you, what kind of company would keep an honorably discharged, disabled veteran's home/vehicle and then continue charging him for storage fees while the man lives on a fixed income?
And we wonder why people experiencing homelessness sometimes seem cynical.
I'm in the process of contacting both the towing company and several reporters who might be interested in bringing this story into the mainstream media if we continue running into a wall on this matter. On Tuesday I believe Channel 4's Deanna Lambert will be interviewing Jimmy for a story and we'll see if we can get him some assistance in getting his home back....
