Towed my car from my apartment complex lot. Can I recoup fees?

[Numanoid]

I'm probably screwed here, but I figured I'd post it here and see if anyone has any insight.

My apartment complex towed my winter car (95 Escort) today because my tabs were expired. Yesterday evening I saw this large orange sticker on the windshield and I checked it out. It was a notice of a boot/tow because I was "parked illeagally" for having expired tabs. It was tagged yesterday and I removed the notice and moved the car closer to the complex showing that it was NOT an abandonded car. I tried to renew my tabs online last night but the car wasn't in the database (the bimmer was tho!) Since the vehicle registration office was very closed, I decided to deal with it today.

I came home from work today and the car was towed. I was hopping mad and talked to the manager of the complex. I was shown the lease agreement that stated they could tow cars at the owner's expense if it weren't registered with the rental office (by lic plate) some other things, and sure enough if my tabs were expired. It was of course in the fine print and something I signed 2 years ago....

I layed into the manager saying that I'm paying XXX dollars a month in a luxury apartment complex (lived there 2 years) and they tow my car with less than 24 hours notice, no chance to update the tabs, and no call to me warning me that they were doing this.

He said he understood and will look into seeing what he can do if anything. Had the impound fee been something realistic, I'd have had no problem with them paying half of say $100 or so. I called the tow place and lo and behold $195 +25 for the day to get it out. Total scam artists.

Anyways, I'm already going to tell them to screw themselves and I'll find a new place to live, but they don't know that yet. If they decide to say I'm SOL and stick me with the whole bill (or even part of it) do any of you know of any laws that they may have skirted around by towing my car without (or with too little) notice?

If so, then I'm going to pay it and file a small claims suit to recoup the money I'm out.

Oh, the tabs were WAY out of date (6 months, and I had no idea they were so) and there has been no communication to me since then.

The only reason this happened is because the complex sub contracted a towing agency to patrol the lots.

Anyways, I think I'm stuck with the bill, but if you know anything that may help me out, please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[NYClex]

welcome to homeowner association land. This is a pretty standard procedure in apartment complexes. I just bought an apartment as a vacation residence and of course they have this provision in their CC&Rs, too, and from what I hear about management companies, this is one of the rules they just love to enforce right away. Actually in my case I would even be assessed a penalty by the HOA in addition to the towing fees.

Since it is private property and it is in your lease I fear you will have to bite the bullet. And the fee, too, seems to be pretty standard, I would expect to billed around $ 200 for towing nowadays.

 

[Numanoid]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll just wait and see if they will do the right thing and help me out.

With these times of a poor rental market (everybody is still buying here in MN) they will need to ask themselves if $200 bill is worth losing a $10000+ a year tennant.