Vehicle Towed - Damaged

[HollywoodHamels]

Hello all, i'll try to keep this as short as possible, but i want you to have all the details. I'm a college student in Philadelphia, and having a parking pass for campus, and my apartment complex. I am constantly swtiching parking tags, and forgot to put up the one for my complex, which is why i was towed. We pay 100 dollars a month to park here, and are allotted our own spot. When i got my parking pass, they did not take any information about my vehicle, just recorded my spot and tag number. For the price we pay, i thought they'd give me the benefit of the doubt and contact me first before towing, since it is my own spot. Although i don't agree with the procedure of my complex, i understand why i was towed.

Upon retrieval of my vehicle, i noticed a crack that is already spidering, located directly in front of the driver (which wasn't there 12 hours earlier, when i was last in it). I told the lady, since she would not get up to look at it, and her response was, "we never cracked a windshield before, so it couldn't be us." I told her that i've never won the lottery before, but it could still happen. We exchanged a few words, and i told her i'd be in contact. Here are my questions:

1. Did my apartment complex landlord make money off of my car being towed? I know around here nearly everyone uses Lew Blum Towing, but my complex does not. Which leads me to believe they must be receiving some benefit for using an alternative.

2. Do i have to pay a full $25/day storage fee if i got my car back in 1.5 hours?

3. Philadelphia Vehicle towing law says, "No vehicle shall be towed under this subsection until the towing company has notified the Police Department that the vehicle is illegally parked and is to be towed. Upon such notice, the Police Department shall determine whether or not the vehicle has been reported stolen. If the vehicle has been reported stolen, then the towing company must comply with the requirements of § 9-605(15). Within 24 hours following the towing of the vehicle the towing company must, in writing, notify the Police Department of the vehicle's removal. 600.2"


Does this apply for my case? Should the police have been notified?

4. When i got my vehicle, the towing agreement has a line that says, "No damage from tow", and a signature line, but no one has signed it.

Who is supposed to sign this? Can i use this in any way?

5. What should i do as far damage to my vehicle?


I know it seems like i'm going to great lengths for this. But, between the money, and the arrogance of the lady i dealt with, i want some sort of vindication.

Thanks a lot!

 

[tpajet]

1 - There's no way to know if the complex is making money off the tow or not, but just because they use a different company doesn't mean they are.

2 - Probably.

3 - What is the statute number of the law you have quoted? Here's the key - does that section apply to vehicles parked on private property, or only on public roads?

4 - It's possible that you could if you file a claim in small claims court (see #5)

5 - There's a couple routes you could take. First, tell the towing company you wish to file a claim with their insurance company for damage to your vehicle. If they blow you off, get an estimate for repair, and file a suit in small claims court. That's where the unsigned slip can come in handy.

 

[mightymoose]

Are there any signs in the parking lot area warning that vehicles may be towed? The lack of a sign can help you out a lot. Have a look around. PA law may be different, but in CA the sign must be prominently displayed, include the authority code, and should also list a contact phone number.

Your tow slip should have a code on it that explains the reason the vehicle was towed. Look it up and find out if all the conditions were met.

I agree its pretty weak that your car would get towed out of your own space without you being contacted. I don't know why they would even touch it unless you contacted them to complain someone is in your spot.