"Seized vehicle may lead to action against city"

Thursday, March 13, 2003

Seized vehicle may lead to action against city
By Claudia Leos & Mark Haslett
The Alpine (TX) Observer


A Fort Worth attorney and partner in a Jeff Davis County ranch is poised to
file a lawsuit against the city of Alpine and Alpine City Manager Bill
Lewis.

John Chamber’s complaint concerns the city’s recent seizure and auction of
his 1986 Chevrolet Suburban, left parked at the Alpine-Casparis Municipal
Airport.

Chamber’s ranch partner and local resident said that Chambers often left his
vehicle parked at the airport while he flew between locations, leaving the
keys with airport staff.

This routine has continued for the past three to four years – according to
his partner, who asked not to be identified - as long as he has been
involved with the ranch.

According to Lewis, Chambers was sent a letter by Chief of Police Russell R.
Scown dated March 7 to provide information about the vehicle.

The letter states that the vehicle “was displaying expired Texas
registration number M34BYN and was towed from Alpine Municipal airport on
Aug. 29, 2002.”

The letter also states that the vehicle was inside the fenced area at the
airport near the terminal at the time the city was preparing for the Big
Bend Balloon Bash 2002.

“Johnny Galvan who manages the airport did not know who the vehicle belonged
to and had no means of contacting the owner,” Scown asserted in the letter.

Although Chambers was kept from the area for an extended period for health
reasons, he expected to find his vehicle at the airport when he flew into
Alpine last Thursday, his partner said.

Chambers arrived to find his vehicle missing and was told by airport staff
that it had been impounded and sold at a recent auction on order by Bill
Lewis, who also serves as manager of the airport.

Chambers proceeded to borrow the vehicle of another ranch partner that was
also parked at the airport in order to drive to the Alpine Police Department
and report the incident.  While at the police station, he encountered Alpine
Utility Director Joy Chew driving the vehicle, according to the partner’s
narrative. When Chambers approached the resident, he was informed that the
vehicle has just been purchased by Chew’s son at auction.

Chew confirmed this week that her son had purchased the vehicle.

Although Scown could not be reached for comment, his written response to
Chambers states that letters had been sent “via certified mail to the last
known registered owner,” BOK Services, Inc., and to a lien holder at Central
Bank and Trust in Fort Worth, but that one returned as undeliverable.

Scown further asserts that an abandoned motor vehicle notice was posted on
Oct. 31, 2002 in the Alpine Avalanche newspaper with an elapsed time of two
months before it was auctioned on Jan. 18, 2003.

Chambers reportedly has given the city a Friday deadline to return the
vehicle before legal action is taken.

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