A DRIVER was shocked to find his truck parked outside a Starbucks.
He claimed he was only inside the coffee shop for less than five minutes when the incident occurred.
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In February 2018, Alan Vanderschouw stopped briefly at the Dilworth Starbucks in Charlotte, North Carolina.
While inside, his truck was shockingly kicked by a towing company called United Towing.
“I was very upset. I wasn’t even there for five minutes,” he told the local NBC affiliate. WCNC-TV.
Vanderschouw parked in a space reserved for another tenant, but told the outlet he didn’t see the tow sign.
He shared images that appeared to show bushes obstructing the sign.
The shocked driver then claimed he was the victim of predatory towing.
“It’s definitely a predatory tow because it was so fast and they didn’t really give me a chance to move,” he told the outlet.
PARKING ISSUES
WCNC Charlotte advocates learned that United Towing received an F rating from the Better Business Bureau.
WCNC-TV spoke with the BBB and asked how a company achieves such a rating.
“It’s mostly based on how they do or don’t handle customer complaints,” said Tom Bartholomy, then president of the BBB in southern Piedmont and western North Carolina.
The vehicle continued investigating the alleged predatory towing and ended up in South End, which, according to the BBB, involved many complaints against towing companies in 2017.
“They just lie there and wait, ready to attack someone and make a mistake,” Bartholomy continued.
The Defenders team discovered new numbers that showed towing was increasing in Charlotte.
From October 2016 to November 2017, there was a three-year high of more than 1,400 trailers, according to the city’s program, Park It!
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
WCNC-TV contacted United Towing for more information about its F rating.
In a phone interview, he told the publication that people always have an excuse when they are being towed.
However, Vanderschouw said: “[It’s] It’s a bit of a shady practice to boot someone’s car when I was obviously here as a customer, I even had a coffee in my hand.
WCNC-TV also sent footage of the blocked warning sign to United Towing. In his response, the owner said there were several other signs in the area.
Vanderschouw said he “might” return to Starbucks “if they change parking,” but there are other places he can buy coffee without risking a tow.
WCNC-TV also shared his report on Vanderschouw on YouTube.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
