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San Clemente towing company accused of illegally selling cars belonging to Camp Pendleton military members

March 25, 2026

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing a San Clemente towing company accused of illegally auctioning off nearly 150 vehicles belonging to active-duty military members over several years.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, March 25, alleges S&K Towing Inc. sold or otherwise disposed of as many as 148 vehicles owned by servicemembers between August 2020 and April 2025 without obtaining required court orders. Many of the vehicles had been towed from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, prosecutors said.

S&K Towing entered into an agreement in August 2020 to provide towing services at Camp Pendleton, where it was among the companies called by Marine Corps police on a rotation to tow vehicles from the base, according to court documents. The lawsuit, however, alleges the company later sold or disposed of some of those vehicles without obtaining required court orders.

The lawsuit accuses S&K Towing of violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a federal law that protects military personnel from certain legal and financial actions while they are serving.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provides legal protections for active-duty military members, including a requirement that a court approve any attempt to seize or sell their property — such as a towed vehicle — during their service and for a period afterward, prosecutors said.

In May 2024, a military legal assistance attorney told S&K Towing it was violating federal law, according to the lawsuit, which alleges the company continued selling vehicles without obtaining court orders afterward.

The lawsuit further claims the company had no policies, procedures or training related to the law and did not check a Department of Defense database that allows businesses to verify whether a vehicle owner is in military service. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said servicemembers are often away for training or deployment and may not know their vehicles have been towed, making those protections critical.

The Justice Department is seeking monetary damages for affected servicemembers, civil penalties and a court order to prevent further violations, the complaint said.

S&K Towing declined to comment Wednesday afternoon.

Orange County Register

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San Clemente towing company accused of illegally selling cars belonging to Camp Pendleton military members

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