Do you really want to do business with criminals?
I parked in the wrong spot in my new apartment complex and my friendly neighbor called Brent Air on me. I had planned on being up & out quickly but got a phone call & chatted for an hour with my best girl friend & ended up parked there for 1 1/2 hours.
I heard some beeping sounds + rushed down stairs. Saw the truck with my back two tires lifted + in the process of trying to tow. Saw my friendly new neighbor + tow truck driver.
I freaked out.
Kept on repeating, ""this can't be happening, you can't do this""
And guess what? HE CAN'T.
I looked it up and have called the police.
Why?
California Vehicle Code Section 22658 Removal From Private Property
""(g) (1) (A) Possession of a vehicle under this section shall be deemed to arise when a vehicle is removed from private property and is in transit.
(B) Upon the request of the owner of the vehicle or that owner's agent, the towing company or its driver shall immediately and unconditionally release a vehicle that is not yet removed from the private property and in transit.""
Obviously I asked him many times to release my car. I even threatened to enter my car + see if he dared try to tow it while I was bodily in it and claimed possession. The tow truck was only attached to the car by these two clamps that were keeping the back two tire wheels above ground.
My car was still in the parking spot! In private property - the private parking spot that I had wrongfully parked in. In the parking lot of the apartment complex WHERE I LIVE, hence MY private property. Had not moved an inch from the parking spot.
But here's the real kicker. Subsection C:
""(C) A person failing to comply with subparagraph (B) is guilty of a misdemeanor.""
GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR. Probably minor. But still a CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
He refused to release my car. He started putting the straps on to tow the car (ILLEGAL) while I was there to claim possession of it. I backed down and said OK, I'll pay. The resident who called the tow truck company on me was feeling apologetic and so offered to pay half of the quoted price.
What was that price? $200. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.
I gave him my debit card and he swiped it. When the resident gave the driver his card, the driver looked reluctant and asked him if he had cash. He said he only had 30. The driver said it was OK, pocketed the 30 and did not give him a receipt. Luckily, he gave me a receipt.
Now I'm thinking: Cash? How did he drop from 200 down to 130 so quickly?
""(h) A towing company may impose a charge of not more than one-half of the regular towing charge for the towing of a vehicle at the request of the owner.... if the owner of the vehicle or the vehicle owner's agent returns to the vehicle after the vehicle is coupled to the tow truck ....and before it is removed from the private property. The regular towing charge may only be imposed after the vehicle has been removed from the property and is in transit.""
They could've only charged me not more than one-half of the regular towing charge simply for the fact that my car was coupled to the tow truck/lifted off the ground.
What is the regular towing charge? It is ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. THEY DON'T GET TO RANDOMLY CHOOSE A NUMBER OF THEIR PLEASING, LIKE TWO HUNDRED.
According to the Official Police Garages of LA:
The towing rate is $109.50 per hour for Standard Vehicles
I have a standard Nissan Maxima. This all happened in10 minutes.
They couldn't have charged me $200. Or even $109.50. They could've only charged me $54.75.
Instead, he overcharged me 45.25 and pocketed $30 cash.
Sweet deal for doing nothing.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ILLEGAL.
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