In Missouri, renewing your plates means gathering paperwork first. The state wants a paid personal property tax receipt and, for many vehicles, a safety or emissions inspection certificate no more than 60 days old, according to its plate renewal requirements. St. Louis County cars also have to pass the Gateway emissions program. If any one of those steps fails, the tags lapse, and plenty of owners leave the car in the driveway while they save for the fix.
A new federal lawsuit says that’s when University City sent the tow truck.
On Oct. 22, four plaintiffs represented by ArchCity Defenders filed Shucks et al. v. City of University City in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The federal complaint says city employees towed more than 150 parked vehicles from private residential property over three years. It says they did it without warrants or hearings, and sometimes without the notice the city’s own code requires. Five officers are sued individually. None of this has been proven in court yet…