Return to the Bermuda Triangle

From the Daily News:

A Queens collision company authorized by the city to tow cars from accident scenes has been dumping mangled and unlicensed vehicles on streets around their shop - causing a major eyesore for neighbors.

American Auto Body & Recovery has turned the area along Flushing Ave. in Maspeth into a junkyard, outraged locals said, leaving them to compete for parking spaces with totaled cars.

"They leave the cars anywhere they want. They don't care about the neighborhood, they just care about making money," said Edison Bonifaz, 43, who lives on the same block as the body shop.

"I'm planning to sell my house because of them - I can't live anymore like this," he added.

The company is part of the Directed Accident Response Program and Rotation Tow Program, which allow towing from accidents and removing abandoned or stolen vehicles, respectively. The city Department of Consumer Affairs regulates both programs.

The company's two locations - on Flushing Ave. and nearby 56th Terrace - have received 86 parking summonses and had five vehicles towed this year, police said.

It's unclear whether the vehicles ticketed were involved with the two city registries, but Consumer Affairs officials said they plan to reach out to the NYPD about the summonses.