One East El Paso family said they were forced to pay hundreds of dollars in fees to get their own stolen car out of a third-party contractor mandated by the city of El Paso.

In mid-December, Christina Villarreal said her husband’s car was stolen from the Eastside parking lot where he works. El Paso Police were able to recover the vehicle shortly before Christmas.

After receiving the call that the car was recovered, Villarreal said they were told the car needed to stay in city custody to dust for fingerprints and recover evidence. She said they were told it would be completed after the holiday weekend.

However, when Villarreal received the call that the car was ready, she said she was told she would need to pay $200 in administrative fees, including a $50 notification fee, to get the car out of the lot.

KFOX14 went to Darrel Petry, a spokesman for the El Paso Police Department. According to Petry, for people who are looking to retrieve their stolen vehicles, the city will absorb the costs to store the vehicle throughout the investigation process. However, those individuals are still responsible to pay those administrative fees.

KFOX14 asked if there are avenues to get monetary help for struggling families in this situation. Petry was not able to comment off-hand, but said there may be some victims’ assistance programs through the state.

Petry also said that while he cannot comment on specifics, the city most likely is not able to help pay for the administrative fees associated with recovering a stolen vehicle because of state mandates of how city money is allowed to be spent.

For now, the Villarreal family will have to absorb the cost of recovering their stolen vehicle on their own.