Brianne Thomas thought she had found a safe place to park. The lot looked empty. There were no signs posted. She seemed to have no reason to think it was off-limits. But when she came back just a short time later, a tow company had unexpectedly taken it. The car wasn’t just any regular vehicle, either. It was her livelihood: a food truck she operated as a small business.
That tow triggered a legal battle that lasted nearly two years
The company that took her truck didn’t just remove it. They kept it for 699 days. They even tried to transfer the title into their own name.
Now, a Jackson County jury has awarded her $7.4 million. That includes $6.9 million in punitive damages and $200,000 in compensatory damages. Her attorneys say the verdict sends a strong message to any tow company trying to operate outside the law.
The trouble started in 2022
Thomas parked her “Crazy Tacos” truck in a lot she believed was safe. Since the lot clearly looked deserted, she didn’t think anything of the location. When she returned less than an hour later, it was gone.
Haney’s Trucking and Tow removed it. Missouri law requires the property owner to be present for a private property tow. No one was there…