I paid and followed all the rules but my car was still wrongfully towed – lawyer says I have to pay $160 to get it back

A LAWYER has informed a car owner that he has to do whatever a tow company says to get his vehicle back – even if the tow was illegal.

The driver said his vehicle was unlawfully towed away from a private parking lot and Alabama -based lawyer Darius Crayton said those who find themselves in similar situations should take certain steps.

CBS 42

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The first step involves paying whatever the towing company insists you pay to free your vehicle.

“You need to get your car back. That’s the first thing,” Crayton told local CBS affiliate WIAT .

“If it tells you you need to go down and pay $160 to get your car back, unfortunately, that’s what you got to do.”

He said not to consider your money wasted as you should also keep documentation every step of the way – that’s important to get your money and your automobile back.

“Evidence is key when it comes to these sorts of cases if you have receipts of you showing where you paid for your parking,” Crayton explained.

“If you have receipts of you showing where you paid for your towed car.”

After paying to get your car back and keeping the receipt, of course, he recommends getting a special lawyer.

He advises that drivers contact an attorney who specializes in predatory towing as they’re the ones who could help you get your money back from a predatory towing business.

His warning specifically benefitted an Alabama driver who felt like his car was wrongfully taken from a parking lot and a towing company took his car five whole hours before his parking time had expired.

“I just said, ‘Look, here’s the receipt,'” Robert Winslett stressed.

“But ultimately, they were like, ‘Look you got to pay the fee to get the truck out. You need to contact ParkMobile'”

Parking lots and garages in Birmingham, Alabama tell drivers that if they don’t pay before leaving their cars, the vehicle will be impounded.

Winslett said he followed all of the rules of parking in the city but still his vehicle was towed.

“It’s worth it to get an attorney just because of that cost alone,” Crayton said.

What to do if your car is towed

Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.

If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.

Steps to take when your car is towed:

• Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
• Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
• Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
• Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.

If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:

• Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
• Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
• Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
• Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
• Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
• Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.

Source: Oregon Department of Justice , National General , Rak Law Firm

“Now because of pain and suffering, or any sort of other out-of-pocket costs alone you may incur because of that car being towed, it may really be worth it.”

When ParkMobile was contacted by WIAT, a spokesperson told the news team that the business does not discuss customers’ issues publicly.

The company additionally noted it is not responsible for tickets, enforcement, or towing.

TAKE LEGAL ACTION

While Winslett was worried about the possibility of not getting his money back for the parking mix-up, one driver got cash back after towing workers grabbed her car and sold it for scraps.

She took the proper steps by taking the towing company to court.

Ameera Shaheed settled a lawsuit after tow operators hauled and sold her car.

She refuted the allegations that her vehicle was parked illegally as she claimed the city’s parking regulations infringed on her constitutional rights – city officials allegedly sent a tow for her car.