Another Towing Issue

[emoye]

I've had a similar but distinct experience with towing recently. I too was illegally parked in a private lot. I did not have a valid permit that would allow me to be parked in the lot, and I admit that I was fully at fault. However, when I picked up my car, I looked over the receipt to discover that the address that my car was supposedly towed from is not the address at which I was parked. The address on the receipt is a parking lot a block or two away from where I was parked. At that time, I asked the man working at the towing company why the address was incorrect, and his explained it by saying that the same person owns both lots. Additionally, the authorizing signature is illegible. How am I to know that the towing company wasn't just perusing the lot looking to make an easy $280 off any car that didn't have a permit? Would it be worth my time to pursue this in small claims court?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Perhaps you'd want to find out whether that company had legal rights to tow your car from the location it was actually towed. If the same person owns both lots and they had the right to tow from at least one, then perhaps you have your answer? Regarding the illegible signature, I'm not sure that changes the heart of the matter. I wish you good luck but I'm not confident of your ability to find success in small claims court.

 

[JeffreyW75]

Another thing to consider, depending on what state you live in, is what are the laws regulating towing. If you are in VA, there are specific laws (state and local) the require specific things before you are towed. For instance, you must post signs at ALL entrances, not just a few here and there. Also, there are limits on the amount charged for towing as well as the amount for storage. There are also rules in some localities that require a photograph of the towing ahead of time. And there are rules requiring reporting the towing to a government official. Worth checking out in your state.