The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against a Southern California tow company on Wednesday, accusing it of auctioning off or disposing of at least 148 impounded vehicles belonging to military service members.
“The men and women who serve in our nation’s military deserve peace of mind in knowing that their legal rights will be protected at home while they are away serving the United States,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in an announcement. “It is unacceptable and illegal for a business to sell or dispose of these vehicles without abiding by the laws that protect servicemembers.”
According to the lawsuit, many of the military service members’ vehicles impounded by S&K Towing Inc. from August 2020 to April 2025 were from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
The Justice Department accused the company of not complying with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which requires tow companies to obtain a court order before selling or disposing of a vehicle owned by a protected service member.
“Servicemembers are often absent for extended periods due to training and deployments and may not know that their vehicle has been towed,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon wrote in the announcement.
According to the lawsuit, S&K Towing “knew or should have known” that many of the vehicles it towed from the base were owned by SCRA-protected service members.
When the tow company was contacted by a military legal assistance lawyer in 2024 about the alleged violation, however, a manager who went by “Jesse” simply said, “We do this all the time,” the lawsuit claimed.
The DOJ is demanding a jury trial and seeking monetary relief for service members.
S&K Towing did not immediately respond to JS when contacted through its website, and a lawyer was not listed in court records.
