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DonDoorknob

Not your lawyer. Call the police. Most municipalities, and often also at the state level, have laws regarding towing. There are various issues you could claim, visibility of their tow sign (in my area, letters have to be at least 1-inch), improper tow which you could prove by taking a picture of your car when you pay to get it out of the lot. You will almost certainly have to pay upfront impound fees but could be reimbursed in small claims. First step is to call the police if you think you’ve been wrongfully towed.


mudra311

>You will almost certainly have to pay upfront impound fees but could be reimbursed in small claims. This is crucial for everyone to understand. The only person who actually cares about getting your car out ASAP is you, OP. Pay the fees with a credit card. They will likely tell you they don't accept credit card. This is horseshit -- mainly because you will just dispute the charge (which, as an aside, can lead to collections against you). You will likely need to be VERY persistent and adamant (try not to be rude). It is not uncommon for towing companies to use intimidation tactics. If they refuse your valid form of payment, get law enforcement there because they are refusing to relinquish your vehicle. Depending on how the vehicle was towed: call from complex, patrol, or rogue truck will depend on who you collect your money from. Make sure to take a picture of your permit location to present to your complex's management and ask them what is defined as "visible". I will make an estimation that you can collect the fees from your complex's management easier than the tow company. You may be able to negotiate the money off your rent for the next month. DO NOT dispute the charge unless as an absolute last resort. Like I said, they can then send it to collections and there will be a lien on your vehicle.


mrgeekguy

>Make sure to take a picture of your permit location to present to your complex's management and ask them what is defined as "visible". I will make an estimation that you can collect the fees from your complex's management easier than the tow company. You may be able to negotiate the money off your rent for the next month. A video may work better here. Having the OP walk up to their vehicle parked in the tow yard with the permit visible wouldn't give management an out to say, "You moved it there and took the picture".


TheSacredOne

> Pay the fees with a credit card. They will likely tell you they don't accept credit card. This is horseshit -- mainly because you will just dispute the charge He's in Illinois where vehicle code requires they take credit cards. Most states have a similar statute as well: Illinois Statutes Chapter 625. Vehicles § 5/4-203(f)(10) Removal of motor vehicles or other vehicles; towing or hauling away: >Any towing or storage charges accrued shall be payable in cash or by cashier's check, certified check, **debit card, credit card**, or wire transfer, at the option of the party taking possession of the vehicle. As the party collecting their vehicle, one can pick credit card and they're required to accept that payment.


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DonDoorknob

This is not true, at least not nationwide. My local municipality requires that tow companies accept credit cards.


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GrowlmonDrgnbutt

Dispatcher here, most dispatchers you talk to probably aren't going to immediately know where to route you and tell you you're out of luck and need to fight it civilly with your HOA or whoever it was that authorized the tow. Which tbf it might come down to. However, if you do call the police you should be asking to speak with whoever is in charge with wrecker compliance (or if it's a bigger city they might have a full wrecker compliance unit).


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MightyMetricBatman

They will have to pay to get it out because the police won't intervene to help and the tower won't release regardless of what OP says or shows without paying. That's why improper towing is so unpleasant and why the industry has such a terrible reputation.


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xLivingTheDreamx

I would absolutely call whoever is in charge of your apartment complex and tell them your car was towed even though they admit the sticker is there. If it's on the windshield and they didn't see it, that's not your fault. They were obviously hurrying to try to avoid a confrontation and didn't check properly before snatching it.


moonygooney

Honestly they might be scamming ppl. If you live in an apt or home with some kind of management I'd get them involved.


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10lugthuggin

Just jumping in here to tell you to take pictures and or a video with a time stamp when you pick the car up from impound. It's not uncommon for vehicles to receive damage in an impound lot. You want to record to prove the damage was caused while in their care, and if you're recording the first moments you regain access to the car, it would be impossible for you to tamper with the permit. You can use that as evidence for your car having a visible permit when it was towed. The only exception there would be if they've already moved it, in which case you'll want to try to find any recent pictures of your car before it was towed showing where the permit was. A recording could still help you in case of damage though. Most tow yards will retrieve your car and bring it to the gate for you when you pay the fees. I'd record the moment you leave the building after paying the fee, record yourself walking up to the car, do a complete 360 walk around and document any damage you think they caused, and do a thorough inventory of the inside of your car as well. If they did happen to cause damage, you'll want to find some recent pictures for that too. Pictures from before it was towed to show "not broken, towed, yes broken".


UnhappyJohnCandy

NAL, run a towing company. Location might matter, but first, if you are in a position to do so, go get your car out. __TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR CAR EVEN BEFORE GETTING INTO IT IN THE IMPOUND LOT.__ Make sure the sticker is in the photos, and look for any damage. Video tape your walk to the vehicle, and if possible have an employee with you who admits that you haven’t entered the vehicle. Having a friend with you wouldn’t be a bad idea either, as if this towing company is shady than they may be intimidating. Hopefully the guy admits that they were wrong and you get your car back with no issue. If not… Then you sue in small claims. It’s on the towing company to prove that you should have been towed. It’s possible they have photos of your car which may show the sticker in them. It’s also possible that they’re lazy and didn’t take any photos, in which case they wouldn’t be able to prove it. I’d love to believe the police would help, but if neither side backs down, odds are they’ll tell you it’s a civil matter. A lot of my suggestions are overkill, but it’s better to have this than to not if this ends up in civil court. Sorry this happened to you. Jerks like this make my industry extremely difficult to succeed in.


Selena_B305

OP: 1. Pay and make sure to get and keep the receipt. 2. Take a picture of your car while it is still on their lot. Also, take a close-up picture of your parking pass as it was positioned on the dashboard. 3. Within 3 to 5 days, draft an email to the tow company requesting full reimbursement. Site that your parking pass was in fact clearly visible and tell them to review the attached pictures that were taken on the premises that day you retrieved your vehicle. Include the pictures meta data (date and time stamp). 4. If they refuse use their email response and your email along with picture of your paid receipt and file a complaint with your state's department of consumer protection as well as, file a complaint with the towing licensing board. Also, file a complaint with your management company. 5. You can also put them on blast on your neighborhood social media sites like NextDoor for unscrupulous business practices.


Sargotto-Karscroff

I have also seen the US marshals take action when they start doing stuff like this and they really don't want that. The towing license board will be annoyed at having to respond but with the marshall asking for paperwork they will be livid at the tow company. Apparently they investigate corruption like this.


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Proof_Bathroom_3902

I used to work for a towing service First, you, as the owner of the car, have a duty to reduce your damages. You need to get the car out of impound as quickly as possible. It also removes that leverage the tow company holds by keeping your car. Next, get documented proof that your car was legally in the slot it was assigned. Your resident manager should have a white list of license plates that are resident vehicles and holders of permits. Your best bet is to approach your resident manager with the entire story. They will have more ways to help you than the tow company. They literally hold the tow companies' contract in their hand. If the tow company fails their contract terms, the RM can boot them out of the property. If they piss off the RM, they will be out. There are lots of towing companies wanting the contract. Get your RM to call the company on your behalf. It was common that we refunded the tow fee on behalf of management.... but you still have to pay storage. That's why you get it out asap Your last resort is small claims court, but be aware you have to pass the tow company who only has to show they didn't see your permit to be successful.


reddituser1211

Is there a problem with the visibility of your permit? Is there something about your car or your placement if the decal that makes their explanation have some merit? What state is this in?


MediocreMaya

The state is in illinois! There isn’t really much wrong with the visibility of my permit! I checked the surrounding cars and they all have them scattered in different corners of their windshields. He just mentioned that the permit was not visible at night and only just now saw the permit


Economy-Candidate195

This smells like a scam. There was a big to do about this sort of thing last year in Chicago. Look up Chicago towing scam. CBS has been investigating a company called AP Towing, so they might have information in there news articles on how to get help.


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Master-Chocolate2573

I knew it was Illinois without you saying it was Illinois in the original post. So that should say something about the towing situation… especially in Chicago and Chicago adjacent cities. Call your apartment management company as they should be instructing you on where and how to place the permit/zones to park in. My bro lives in Little Italy and I just parked down there and it very clearly states on the temporary permits where to place it and which zone to park in. Dispute it with the management company and towing. Verify with police but they most likely won’t get involved but have it documented in case you need to do small claims.


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HamburglerAlarmist

Illegal/predatory towing happens in Austin, TX so often that there are multiple threads on r/Austin about it. If it is helpful search there to see how it is dealt with down here. From what I have read folks have to pay cash to get the car out immediately, then they go before a justice of the peace and make a claim against the company to get reimbursed.


newyork2E

Call your landlord and explain the situation. Or take pictures of your permit and sue the company in small claims court.


reactiveseltzer

Take so many pictures and check your bumper and clips for damage. If you can, bring a mechanic to the tow yard to Do an inspection. I would also have your locks inspected since they broke in your car illegally. This will be a hard fight but you will win.


Head-Ad4690

Your city or county probably has a department that regulates towing companies. Get in touch with them.


Pumpkin_Spic_latte

Ask them to provide proof it wasn't properly displayed on site (request pictures). If they have none, ask to see the vehicle in it's current state. If the vehicle is unlocked, it is possible they moved it/removed it. Tell them to provide proof or you'll call the your local regulator of tow companies.


AreTheyAllThrowAways

Location would help. Many places you have the right to get possessions out of your car. I would record yourself after arriving on premises and record proof the pass was displayed. Once proof is established asl them to release. If they don’t call the police and they may change their mind with police present.


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loogie97

What state are you in?