Episode

How to Lose a Car in 15 Days

Podcast
Paper Trail
Published
May 21, 2026
Duration seconds
2497
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://www.propublica.org/podcast/connecticut-dmv-towing-law-investigation
Audio
https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/swap.fm/track/sblTq32fyWAjsHzze2LG/dovetail.prxu.org/16890/7192bd4c-7346-46d3-a29c-ca623e4218fe/PAPER-TRAIL_Towing_MIX_v13.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/paper-trail-7800276/episodes/how-to-lose-a-car-in-15-days
Markdown
/podcast/paper-trail-7800276/how-to-lose-a-car-in-15-days.md

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Summary

Local reporters at The Connecticut Mirror heard story after story of drivers having their cars towed and then sold out from underneath them, sometimes in just 15 days. They teamed up with ProPublica to investigate why, how often this was happening and who was profiting from it. This episode traces the history of the 100-year-old law that made all of it legal and follows the reporters as they try to track down drivers’ cars and confront the bureaucrats allowing a flawed system to take advantage of vulnerable people. Reporters: Ginny Monk and Dave Altimari Read More: https://www.propublica.org/series/on-the-hook Support our journalism by donating at propublica.org/donate .