Car is being held for ransom

While driving home from work at the end of the day yesterday I passed my brother's car, which is parked on our street while he's in LA. It has been there for barely a week. It had a bright florescent orange sticker on it saying that if it wasn't moved by 11:45am (yes, it had the time listed) on the 5th, it would be towed. Not being very pleased that neighbors called in an innocent car, I quickly moved it over to Mark's covered spot at the new apartment. Problem solved.

New problem: I hung out at Mark's place waiting for him to come home before heading back to my place. While waiting, Mark decided he wouldn't stop at his place and just head to my house so I left to start walking home. I was on the phone with Mark during this time and when he was really close he commented that his car died. I looked behind me and sure enough, he was parked on Horizon (a non-parking street). Not only did the car stop running but we couldn't get it started. Seeing as it was after 7pm in the evening and the night before the holiday we, (never having been in this type of situation before, decided to leave the car on the street with a note saying we'd tow it on Thursday. Mark also listed his name and number on the note.

This morning I left for an early morning run with Trisha and Mark asked me to check to make sure the car was there on the way back. I thought that was rather silly seeing as it wouldn't have even been a day since it had been there and the car couldn't even be started.

On my way home I drove right past where the car should have been and it wasn't there. I got home and Mark was there for breakfast, so I told him. We checked his messages and he had gotten a call at 12:30am from an officer saying that if he didn't move the car in the next 5 minutes (it was the second call), then they'd tow it. In some ways, having someone else tow it was rather convenient as we weren't even sure where to take the car too and every place was closed anyway. So it work out (expensively) well ;)

We've called a few numbers to find the little Passat and will head out soon to get the release from the Beaverton Police Department and pay whatever amount they will hold it ransom for. Although we can't do anything with it today since nothing is opened.

In reality, you couldn't have asked for worse timing with the wedding coming up. So if we don't end up with some important element at the wedding, like cake... you'll know why ;) JK

The car is already old and not worth repair, much. We're in agreement about not sinking money into the black hole but have decided to at least get it diagnosed. In the mean time, Mark's humbly decided to take the bus to work as that's mostly what he used his car for anyway. So, if the repairs are more than we are comfortable paying, we're not sure the next step. With wedding expenses, we don't know if we can afford another car. We'll just take this one step at a time.

When I first got home and told Mark it had been towed, I thought it was kind of funny, in a sad way. And it was also funny to realize you had no idea where the car was. Because we didn't want the car anyway we decided we could just not respond to anything and leave the car where ever it was ;) But of course, you pay handsomely for every day it's held.

Alas, the little Passat continues it's plunge into the pocket book. Even if we end up "junking" the car, we still have to pay the ransom to get it realized, tow some place that can diagnose and the diagnoses of the actual problem. Poor Mark has to be without a car and we have yet, another expense. But at least it doesn't threaten our health, relationship, or future marriage so in the end, is just another life puzzle we get to solve together!