Byrhonda Lyons

Richmond, Sacramento

Investigative Reporter at CalMatters

Hella nosy @calmatters | News tip? Signal/cell 510-804-9939 | I ❤️ public records + art | @uapbinfo, #HBCUgrad, @ucbsoj | Pine Bluff-raised 🇺🇸

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Articles

The DMV makes millions from auctioned cars, and doesn’t tell the owners

2 months ago | kvpr.org | Byrhonda Lyons

This story was originally published by CalMatters. After a Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster got towed in 2023, no one claimed it. The iconic sports car sat at a Torrance tow yard for five months, long enough that the towing company had the right to sell it. The sale allowed the company to recoup its costs for the tow, storage and lien sale, $11,332. But there was plenty left over: $99,668, which went to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Byrhonda Lyons / CalMatters

2 months ago | kvpr.org | Byrhonda Lyons

Byrhonda Lyons / CalMatters Investigative Reporter Byrhonda Lyons is a national award-winning investigative reporter for CalMatters. She writes and produces compelling stories about California’s court and criminal system. Her reporting has uncovered how California bounces around mentally ill prisoners, the lack of diversity among local judges, and how state police ignored a Ninth Circuit opinion and continued an asset forfeiture procedure towing people’s vehicle for 30-day tows.
The DMV makes millions from auctioned cars, and doesn’t tell the owners

2 months ago | record-bee.com | Byrhonda Lyons

The DMV makes millions from auctioned cars, and doesn’t tell the owners
California’s DMV makes millions from auctioning off towed cars, and doesn’t tell the owners

2 months ago | mercurynews.com | Byrhonda Lyons

By Byrhonda Lyons | CalMattersAfter a Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster got towed in 2023, no one claimed it. The iconic sports car sat at a Torrance tow yard for five months, long enough that the towing company had the right to sell it. The sale allowed the company to recoup its costs for the tow, storage and lien sale, $11,332. But there was plenty left over: $99,668, which went to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Las empresas de grúas pueden vender tu automóvil y el DMV puede quedarse con las ganancias sin decírtelo

2 months ago | calmatters.org | Byrhonda Lyons

EN RESUMEN: Desde 2016, el DMV ha recaudado más de $8 millones en casi 5,300 ventas de automóviles, según un análisis de CalMatters. Read this story in EnglishEn 2023, un Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster fue remolcado y nadie lo reclamó. El emblemático coche deportivo estuvo en un depósito de remolques de Torrance durante cinco meses, tiempo suficiente para que la empresa de remolque tuviera derecho a venderlo.
How to file a complaint against a California homeless shelter

2 months ago | mtdemocrat.com | Byrhonda Lyons

In California, there isn’t a central, statewide agency that oversees homeless shelters. Shelters that receive public funding are monitored by local officials, who often handle complaints from residents. In some cases, state officials can also step in if residents report problems. A new CalMatters investigation has documented chaos and scandal inside California’s homeless shelters and found that fewer than 1 in 4 people cycle through shelters find permanent housing.
DMV can make money off your towed car without telling you

2 months ago | calmatters.org | Byrhonda Lyons

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has collected more than $8 million from about 5,000 car sales since 2016.
How to file a complaint against a California homeless shelter

2 months ago | thepress.net | Byrhonda Lyons

In California, there isn’t a central, statewide agency that oversees homeless shelters. Shelters that receive public funding are monitored by local officials, who often handle complaints from residents. In some cases, state officials can also step in if residents report problems. A new CalMatters investigation has documented chaos and scandal inside California’s homeless shelters and found that fewer than 1 in 4 people cycle through shelters find permanent housing.
How to file a complaint against a California homeless shelter – Shasta Scout

2 months ago | shastascout.org | Byrhonda Lyons

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Catherine Moore goes through old notebooks and papers, filled with the names and numbers of shelters and possible housing leads that she called during the period in which she was homeless, on May 14, 2024. Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMattersThis story was originally published by CalMatters on February 25, 2025, updated February 26, 2025, and is reprinted here with permission.
How to file a complaint against a California homeless shelter

2 months ago | pressdemocrat.com | Byrhonda Lyons

Stay up-to-date with free briefings on topics that matter to all Californians. Subscribe to CalMatters today for nonprofit news in your inbox. In California, there isn’t a central, statewide agency that oversees homeless shelters. Shelters that receive public funding are monitored by local officials, who often handle complaints from residents. In some cases, state officials can also step in if residents report problems.