A DRIVER complained after his vehicle was stolen from outside his home just hours after a tire went flat.
Marlowe Wallace, a driver from Florida, said he was unable to fix the car himself. A towing company asked for $1,100 to recover the vehicle.
two
Wallace was driving his car home from work when his front passenger tire went flat, according to the Miami-based Fox affiliate. WSVN.
“[I] I barely made it home with a flat tire,” Wallace told the station in March.
The driver, who has cerebral palsy, was unable to place the spare tire on the Dodge Avenger sedan.
Wallace said his diagnosis makes it “very difficult for me to lift” heavy objects.
The driver fell asleep before calling AAA to help fix the tire.
He called the car maintenance company at 6:55 a.m., five hours after returning home from work.
However, when he went down the stairs of his building, the vehicle was gone.
Wallace called his apartment management company and the towing company. He was told he would have to pay $190 to get the car.
Eventually, the car incurred more fees from the towing company’s lot. Wallace’s bill ballooned to $1,100.
His neighbors were angered by the fees.
“I want to do what’s right,” Wallace’s neighbor, Thalia Armbrister, told the station.
“I’m supporting him because it’s fair.”
However, the apartment company and towing company quickly resolved the issue.
“We did not know it was his car and followed the standard procedure outlined in the lease agreement,” the apartment complex wrote to the police department.
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
Wallace’s car was driven back to the apartment parking lot after the news station told management about the story.
The apartment complex also changed the towing contract to another company.
“We were all surprised to see him back,” Wallace told the station.
“You always help people.”
The driver also said he was not charged $1,100 to return the car.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
