Someone i know spent 30 years in streets and sanitation working in the autopounds...

Have you spoken to a manager?

Losing cars happens quite a bit. It might not be in the system correctly which could mean you need to do the legwork yourself at the autopound. If you show up and explain the situation to a manager, they should be able to at least assist you with managing the fees. If you show that you are looking for the car but the city lost it somewhere, they might be able to cut off the cost of getting it back.

Otherwise, ask to see the cars that were towed on the day/the area they were left in the lot. It is entirely possible it is just sitting somewhere you called but wasn't entered into the system.

You are not alone. The autopound should be used to people's cars going MIA. If you work with them and don't ask some desk worker to go out to double-check the vin number/plate number on all the cars in the lot, you will likely find someone to assist you. Simply calling and having someone enter the numbers into a computer is not going to help.

It sucks, but if you want to track down a lost car, escalate it to a supervisor. If you have the opportunity, ask to walk the lot with the supervisor and see if you can find the car. It might not fly, but this shit happens, and walking the lot could be the best/easiest way to find your shit.