Have you been towed from your parking lot by these predators?
What people don't realize is that companies like this often tow vehicles illegally, and as a result, it is usually easy to fight it.
Here's what to do if you are victimized by these thieves:
1) CALL THE POLICE!!!
a) Tell them your car was stolen; they will tell you where your car is.
b) Ask them what time your car was towed and why. The tow company must call within an hour of stealing your car.
c) Also, ask for a copy of the report at the local police station.
2) WHEN PICKING UP YOUR CAR:
a) Ask if the owner of the parking spot/property, the property manager, or an HOA representative was present & get his/her full name. That way, if you need to sue them in small claims, you will know who to subpoena as a witness. One of these people must be present when they take your car***.
***The exception is if you are in a Fire Lane or blocking an entrance, in which case ask for a picture, they must have one, and do not accept photocopies! If they refuse, refer to item b).
Note: They usually steal it in the middle of the night, so it is easy to prove that nobody was there.
b) If they do not provide the name to you, CALL THE POLICE and tell them you are being denied access to your car. After they arrive, pay with a credit card and later ask the police for a copy of the report for documentation.
3) DO NOT PAY CASH!!! Pay the ransom with a credit card:
a) Then dispute the charges with your bank. Tell your bank the charge was not authorized and ask them to conduct a fraud investigation. Most banks apply a credit to your account while they investigate. Try and sign it using a different signature, this will further help your dispute. Also, dispute it online and do not answer any phone calls from the bank, make them do the work!
b) If the dispute doesn't work OR if you prefer, dispute it and tell them you were overcharged and agree to pay the base towing fee (minus impound, storage and other nefarious charges). Often times banks will side with customers rather than shady merchants on overcharging.
4) If all else fails: SUE THEM! If you need help, ask a small claims advisor.
If they fail to appear in court, you win by forfeit!!! AND many times it is not worth it for them to retrieve a few hundred dollars. They would rather spend their time stealing more cars.
Make sure to include all documentation proving your case, and subpoena your HOA reps/apartment manager/property owners. Include all other costs incurred (lost wages for missing work that day, cab fare to the impound lot, etc.)
FINALLY: If you really want to help fight back, start a petition and have all the tenants in your complex sign a request for a new service provider (towing company) after their contract expires. This works well with HOA’s, who are elected to their positions, and sometimes many property owners are actually unaware of these predatory practices.
If everybody did the above, rather than just pay the fees and move on, these companies would probably stop doing this.
Good Luck! Together we can defeat predatory towing practices!!!
Cons: Everything
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