My car was towed while I was volunteering and I had to pay over $300 to get it back – the warning signs were “illegal”

VOLUNTEERS at a community arts theater have complained that their vehicles were illegally towed from a car park.

Several Texas drivers were forced to pay $300 to get their cars back, and one volunteer took legal action over the parking drama.

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The drama unfolded in September 2022 at Killeen’s Vive Les Arts Theater – also known as the Central Texas Theater – in Killeen, Texas, about 67 miles from Austin.

Several volunteers alleged that a towing company illegally removed their vehicles.

However, the towing company and a theater board member responded, saying the trailers were perfectly legal as parking needed to be freed up for people learning to ride motorcycles.

The lot had several warning signs posted at the time of the incident, according to the Killeen’s Daily Herald.

A sign read: “Towing required, unauthorized vehicles will be towed at owners’ or operators’ expense, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

‘ILLEGAL’ SIGNS

Erin Riddle, a theater volunteer, argued that the warning signs were not specific enough.

Warning signs should clearly indicate who is and is not authorized to park in the lot, Riddle said.

They must also warn drivers about days and times when parking is not authorized.

“Parking lot signs are illegal,” Riddle said.

“That information is clearly not on the signs.”

She said she and her co-volunteers “would follow the rules if we knew what they were.”

The theater used a parking lot that is on city property.

The company had a 99-year lease to use the lot at the time of the incident, according to VLA board member Perk Bearden.

Bearden owns Texas Motor Sports in Harker Heights, which offers motorcycle courses in the parking lot, where vehicles were towed, on weekends.

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 restrict the phone numbers to be dialed.
• 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

“We have had a contract with VLA to use the parking lot for these classes since 1989,” Bearden said.

Bearden told the Killeen Daily Herald that they originally hired a towing company, Bill’s Towing, to transport vehicles from the designated area to motorcycle safety classes for a fee of $25 per vehicle.

But they changed plans after the towing company increased the towing cost to $75 per vehicle because they could no longer afford it.

It was then that they decided to impound vehicles parked in the parking lot if they parked within the security course perimeter.

Two volunteers were charged $300 to retrieve their vehicles from the towing company.

Another volunteer, Don Kreinbrink, said his car was towed on March 19, 2022.

“I believe my car was towed unfairly and illegally,” he said.

Kreinbrink said he was forced to pay a fine to get his vehicle back.

One volunteer, Riddle, ended up filing a small claims lawsuit over the incident and won.

A judge ordered Texas Motor Sports to pay her $224.15, which was half of the towing bill and court costs, according to the Killeen’s Daily Herald.

It is unclear whether the signs were updated after the process.

The US Sun has reached out to Texas Motor Sports for comment.