Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Scoop Clarification: How To Get Your Car Back
Lest it appear that Scoop's has implied that a special rule was invoked to allow Conservation Minister Sandra Lee to get her car back, the following item of clarification should be born in mind.
Scoop has been informed by a reliable source that the rules pertaining to the return of impounded cars allow the owners of cars who, "reasonably believe", the person who has been driving their car is allowed to do so - to get their car back in a shorter period of time than 28 days.
Thus rental car companies can get their cars back as can husbands or wives - who reasonably beleive their spouse has updated their license.
That said - as this process of determining whether the belief of the owner is reasonable or not is an exta-judicial judgement made by a police officer - John Howard's remarks on the arbitrary nature of the impounding law remain valid.
Scoop also understands that in the case of Sandra Lee's car the Nissan Maxima was in fact released by the police on Monday - after just one day - rather than after four days as mentioned in John Howard's article.
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
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