Laid-off teacher towed while looking for a job must pay $500 to get car back – and fee goes up everyday

AN EDUCATOR who was laid off was looking for employment when his vehicle was hauled off, causing more of a financial setback.

Nathan Hayes, 60, of Memphis, Tennessee , expressed feeling hopeless after his vehicle was towed off because he didn’t know what to do and was at his wit’s end.

Local Memphis

Local Memphis

After losing his teaching job in May, the stream of inconveniences and strains on his bank accoun t made him feel like he was down on his luck, ABC24 reported.

“I’ve been a teacher for about 11 years. I love teaching I love interacting with young people,” Hayes said.

“I’m doing the best I can.”

Feeling at a loss for options, Hayes went to a job center to search for employment, and that’s where his car was towed away earlier this month.

“I parked in the lot that’s across from the apartments,” he said about his job search.

“I come out… no car. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on.”

He stressed that he didn’t see any ‘no parking’ signs.

Hayes also didn’t know that the parking lot he had parked in was part of an adjacent apartment complex.

The payoff fee to get his Honda back was $225, but he couldn’t afford it.

On top of that, he was accumulating $30 fees each day his automobile sat in the lot.

He did the math once his vehicle had been there for over a week.

“7 times 30 would be 210,” Hayes said.

“Might be about four or $500 now.”

After getting help from ABC24, the situation started to change for Hayes almost immediately.

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

After the news team spoke with one of the company’s executive directors on his behalf, his debt was wiped clean.

Americans all over suffer from parking penalties that weigh on their wallets.

One resident of Troy, New York, said she has so many parking issues downtown that she’s considering moving.

Jaya Rajamani went to Facebook with her rant , stressing that, in the area she lives in, residents are additionally required to move vehicles parked on the street “excessively.”

“I have lived in Downtown Troy for four months,” she said.

“I have been towed four times. If you factor in the parking tickets that come along with it, tickets I’ve had to plead down every single time.”