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ProPublica
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1/ ICYMI: We won the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting! For our “On the Hook” series with @ctmirror.org, we reported on how Connecticut laws had come to favor towing companies at the expense of low-income residents. Here's a bit more about the series 👇

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ProPublica
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2/ Towing companies could seek to sell some people’s cars after just 15 days, one of the shortest windows in the country, ProPublica and @ctmirror.org found. It meant many people who couldn’t afford to quickly pay the towing fees lost their cars.

propublica.orgGone in 15 Days: How the Connecticut DMV Allows Tow Companies to Sell People’s CarsA law intended to deal with abandoned vehicles is making it hard for low-income people to get their cars back after they’re towed. The consequences can extend far beyond the cost of the car.
ProPublica
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3/ Through a public records battle, complex data analysis of 6,000+ forms submitted by towing companies, and innovative engagement reporting, the reporters discovered that companies were drastically undervaluing cars, allowing them to sell cars fast.

propublica.orgConnecticut Towing Companies Frequently Value Cars Low, Allowing Them to Sell Vehicles QuicklyA database created by The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica of more than 6,000 forms submitted by the state’s towing companies shows a pattern of low values, including for some luxury cars.
ProPublica
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4/ Reporters found that the towers sometimes held on to people’s belongings, including work equipment and sentimental mementos, as leverage to get them to pay exorbitant fees. “It was hurtful, because there’s nothing you can really do,” one person said.

propublica.orgConnecticut Towing Companies Use Belongings Left in Cars as Leverage to Collect Fees, Drivers SayThe Connecticut DMV allows owners to get back into towed cars to retrieve items that are essential to their health and welfare. But people have lost work equipment, car seats, important documents and ...
ProPublica
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5/ Towing companies were also not abiding by a Connecticut law that requires them to hold on to the profits of sold cars and turn them over to the state so owners can claim the money. It turns out that the DMV never set up a system to collect it.

propublica.orgConnecticut DMV Never Set Up System to Enforce a Century-Old Towing LawTowing companies can sell vehicles if owners don’t reclaim them or can’t afford the fees. To protect drivers, they’re supposed to turn over unclaimed profits, but the state says that’s never happened.
Enfinity Cast
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Congrats! The intersection of local policy and economic inequality is fascinating territory — those seemingly mundane municipal laws often reveal the most about power structures. Bet there were some wild rabbit holes in that investigation.