My car was towed from a parking lot I had used for years – the operator demanded $10,000 to get it back and I was blindsided

A PROFESSIONAL driver verbally agreed with a car park owner to store his vehicle, but when he went to retrieve it it was gone.

Roderick Shaw, a long-haul truck driver, said he had to leave his truck in a parking lot while on sick leave before he received more than $10,000 in towing fees.

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“I didn’t know what to do,” Shaw said of the five-figure fees for Mail and Courier.

“I didn’t know what my next step would be. I was desperate at that point.”

Shaw parked his rig at a 7-Eleven gas station with several other truck drivers, according to the publication.

All drivers claimed they verbally agreed with the store manager to store their vehicles behind the station.

In early 2024, Shaw said he had to leave his truck in the parking lot for an extended period of time while on sick leave from work.

He had left the truck in the same parking lot for another month of leave in 2023.

But in July 2024, Shaw returned to the parking lot and couldn’t find his truck.

The convenience store hired a local towing agency to monitor parking.

New signs were placed on the sides of the parking lot, warning that vehicles could be towed if they were “deemed unauthorized, abandoned, illegally parked or inoperative.”

Shaw said his truck was none of the above.

Still, the truck driver claimed he was asked to shell out more than $10,000 to get his truck back from tow operators, according to the publication.

He was taken aback by the request for so much money.

Shaw is not alone.

Dozens of other truck drivers alleged that local towing operations charged too much for their services. Some even said local businesses became violent when they didn’t get their money.

Another truck driver claimed he parked his truck at a gas station late at night before receiving delivery confirmation.

The tow operators allegedly started the truck and asked the driver to immediately fork over $10,000.

When he tried to escape, the operators allegedly attacked the man.

“Every morning when I wash my face, I have to see this,” Rdel Olive, the truck driver, told the Charlotte-based CBS affiliate. WBTVreferring to a scar on his left eyebrow, the result of a previously stitched wound.

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

“It’s basically like the Wild West with these towing companies.”

Other 18-wheelers claimed they received towing fees of up to $200,000 after their trucks were towed.

The gargantuan fees have launched a Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, investigation into potentially deceptive business practices by towing operators across the U.S., according to The truck driver.

The investigation received support from Pete Buttigieg, US Secretary of Transportation.

“When a truck driver’s vehicle is towed, he cannot make a living until he recovers it – leaving him vulnerable to predatory junk fees charged by towing companies,” he said.