Fun with license plates

While I was away in Australia, my Neon was parked in its usual place. Can you see where this is going? Right, my new plates arrived while I was away. And Tracy Police impounded the car (case number 00555). Yesterday I paid $108 of the release fee to the police, then $410 to release the car. $70 of those were lien, because the police person processing the car mistyped the VIN and it came as "not on file". At least the car seems not to be damaged, not even the gas syphoned. The towing was handled by our local shop ACE, rather than one of those professional towing vultures, so probably this is why.

I guess it would be too much to expect for cops to remember that they processed a stolen plates report a few weeks earlier. But not finding the VIN disappoints me. The silliest thing is, there's nothing in it for the cops or the city, the lien goes to the DMV. It's just a mistake. Although I suppose if it costed them rather than me, it would be less likely to happen.

{Update: ACE refunded my $70 in lien. Way to go.}