A DRIVER says he took a towing company to court after believing his car was wrongly taken in the middle of the night.
Scott Miller said he went to see his friend in Dallas, Texas, and parked in the visitor parking lot.
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Miller said his car was taken unexpectedly that night from the Overlook Ranch apartments.
The driver claimed there were no signs in the parking lot stating that visitors should register their vehicles, according to a FOX affiliate KDFW.
Miller was angered by the process he went through to get his car back.
“I’m forced to pay when they take my car, regardless of their right to take it,” he said.
Miller claimed his Dec. 6, 2019, tow was illegal and took the matter to court a month later, according to KDFW.
The driver said he took photos of the parking lot the next morning to supposedly show there were no parking restriction signs.
Miller also claimed that his friend, whom he visited that day, showed him a letter that the parking company had sent before the incident.
“Visitors must use designated visitor parking – no permit required,” the letter said.
A Denton County justice of the peace ruled in Miller’s favor and ordered the company, Innovative Parking Management, to pay the driver’s tow and court costs.
Miller described the legal process as lengthy.
“It took me, with a fair amount of online resources, probably five hours of research to figure out where and how to file, let alone rush to court and actually deal with the matter,” he said.
Miller claimed at the time that it had been six weeks since the trial and he had not received his money back.
“They can inflict an unlimited financial hit on me, but there is nothing I can do except drag them to court, wasting some of their time over and over again,” he said.
The owner of Innovative Parking Management told KDFW he disagreed with the court’s ruling.
What to do if your car is towed
Unfairly or not, recovering 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 some steps you can take to get it back.
Steps to follow when your car is towed:
- Try to find out why your car was towed. Haven’t you seen a “No Parking” sign? Did you miss your car payment? Have you returned to a lot where there were unpaid citations? Finding the reason may narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities or counties require towing companies to leave some type of contact information via a posted or mailed sign.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but these times will be posted on the website or may be provided by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as quick as possible, as some towing yards may charge per-day storage fees.
If you believe your vehicle was improperly towed, you can dispute the action by following these steps:
- Be quick – many states have a small window of time in which it is acceptable to file a claim against a company that improperly towed your vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements, if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws, as laws for towing companies vary by state.
- Try talking to the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact your local Justice of the Peace as they may have more information or resources to help. They are often used for towing cases.
- Speak to a lawyer. Many lawyers offer free consultations and, depending on the case, it may be worth calling on a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak law firm
He also added that a check should have been sent to Miller as they “resolve this quickly.”
It is unclear whether the issue has yet been resolved.
Other drivers complained about tows they felt were unfair, according to The US Sun.
A nurse at the hospice said her vehicle was taken 30 minutes after she arrived at a patient’s property.
“I felt like things weren’t right,” the nurse said.
The US Sun has reached out to Innovative Parking Management for comment.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
