Updated Oct 2 2024
At a Tuesday October 1 preliminary hearing in Falls Township District Court the single felony theft charge filed by Falls Township Police against Hope Hoover of Philadelphia was withdrawn by the Bucks County District Attorney’s office and the case is now closed, according to court records. The reason for the case closure is not noted in the court record.
As a result this story, as per Bucks Digital Media, LLC policy (AKA Lower Bucks Source) will remove this story from the website Friday morning..
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Original Story
A Philadelphia woman was charged last week for allegedly refusing to return a car rental.
The unusual accusation started when Enterprise Car Rental, 2oo block of Lincoln Highway, called police reporting a rental with an expected return date of May 16 needed to be reported as stolen.
Police interviewed the manager of the car rental business who told them customer Hope Hoover, 44 of Philadelphia, rented a 2023 Kia Sportage with an agreed rental contract of a May 16 return date. Hoover, the manager told police, never arrived but contact was made with her, where she extended the rental agreement until May 31. Again, she failed to return the rental, court records allege. The manager said he launched internal operations in attempts to recover the vehicle including numerous attempts to contact Hoover through his site and the rental agencies regional representatives. The woman answered one call and then avoided other attempts to reach her, court records show.
On July 5, Enterprise Risk Management sent Falls authorities copies of certified letters sent to Hoover requesting the car be returned with the letters sent by Federal Express and the United States Postal Service and dated June 14. Police tried to contact the woman at two different phone numbers. leaving a voicemail on one requesting a callback regarding the vehicle. Police also sent a letter to three different addresses Hoover had listed, demanding the vehicle be returned by July 12 (seven days). On July 12, the Enterprise Rental manager reported the vehicle was still not returned.
Hoover was charged with theft of leased property, a grade three felony. She was arraigned last week by Judge John T. Galloway who released her on her own recognizance with a court date set for September 10.
