A San Clemente-based towing company has agreed to a $160,000 settlement with the Justice Department for illegally auctioning vehicles that were towed from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and were owned by members of the military.
The lawsuit alleged that between August 2020 and April 2025, S&K Towing Inc illegally sold or disposed of nearly 150 vehicles, many of which were registered to Camp Pendleton addresses. In other cases, vehicles were auctioned even after they were told that the owner was in the military.
According to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), tow companies are required to obtain a court order before selling or disposing of a vehicle owned by an SCRA-protected servicemember…