Camp Hill, Pa. - Carol Hall was glad when Camp Hill police called to inform her that her stolen car had been found. She was not happy to be slapped with a bill for hundreds of dollars.

It might be a 1994 Buick, but Hall says her car provides dependable transportation from her Colonial Park home to her job at Boscov's in the Camp Hill Mall. Some car thieves liked it, too. They broke into it in the mall parking lot, smashed the ignition lock and drove off. Police found the car the next day near York.

"They called me and told me my car was recovered," Hall said. "I could pick it up at the Camp Hill police station. So I went over and that's when they informed me I could not take my vehicle until I paid the towing charge, which was $305."

Since the car's so old, Hall has only liability insurance coverage, so that's not an option for paying the towing charge. Camp Hill police Chief Gregory Ammons said the car had to be towed to the police station to be checked for evidence.

"I can understand her frustration, but we had to bring the car back for processing," Ammons said. "Our policy is she has to pay for the towing bill."

Hall wishes police would have called her sooner. "I could have had it towed and it would have been paid for because I'm a member of AAA. I wasn't given that option," she said.

Police said because the car was found by state police near an off-ramp of I-83, it had to be moved quickly for safety reasons and there was no time for additional phone calls.

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