A WOMAN who paid for a parking pass for her car was left stunned when it was towed away just 10 minutes later – leaving her with a $234 fee.
Stephanie Keller, of San Antonio, Texas, went to a rock show near East Houston Street and parked in a legitimate lot, paid for a 24 hour pass, and even had pictures of the receipts as proof.
GettyA woman’s vehicle was towed away a mere 10 minutes after she’d parked it in a lot in a major downtown area[/caption] Getty - ContributorThe car was towed despite the fact she had paid for a 24 hour parking pass[/caption]But just hours later, she found herself bailing out her towed car – despite being completely faultless.
Speaking to KENS5, she said: “I checked all the signs to make sure and all the numbers matched.”
But that didn’t matter, as a tow truck, run by Creswell’s Wrecker Service, still took her vehicle – with paperwork showing it happened less than 10 minutes after she paid.
To add insult to injury, the supposed reason for the tow was listed as “Non-Payment.”
Keller called SAPD hours after leaving the concert, presumably suspecting her car had been stolen.
However, an officer told her the vehicle was towed to a nearby storage facility by a company called Vehicle Management Solutions Inc.
That company shares a business address with Creswell’s Wrecker Service and both companies are owned by the same person.
Keller said she tried to explain to the lot employee that she had proof of payment.
She added: “I was really stressed out.”
“There was no information given and I had to cough up the money to get my car out. I was very frustrated.”
After the ordeal, she got a receipt and sent a complaint to Creswell’s Wrecker Service, as well as called several numbers for the company.
However, she did not get a response.
But after reaching out to the local media, Keller got a call from a company representative.
“She said she didn’t know what happened with the correspondence, or what happened to my email, or why nobody had contacted me, but they were calling to offer a refund,” Keller said.
Creswell’s Wrecker Service later tried to provide an explanation.
They said: “At Creswell’s Wrecker, we are committed to ensuring a fair and transparent enforcement process in all the properties we manage.
“We want to address a recent incident in which a customer’s vehicle was mistakenly towed despite payment for parking.
“Our enforcement process relies on real-time information from the digital enforcement system, which our drivers use to verify whether a vehicle has an active parking pass on record.
“When a driver identifies a vehicle without an active parking pass in the system, they follow established procedures to document the violation and then proceed with the tow.
“In this particular case, the system did not reflect an active pass at the time of enforcement.
“While we cannot see how long a vehicle has been parked before payment is made, it is possible that the payment was processed after the enforcement check occurred.
“We understand that this situation has caused inconvenience to the customer, and as a result, we have issued a full refund for the tow fees.
“We are actively reviewing our processes to determine how we can make improvements to minimise situations like this in the future while maintaining the integrity of our enforcement procedures.
“Customer satisfaction is a priority, and we appreciate the community’s understanding as we continue to refine our operations.”
Keller said she wished she could have resolved the issue before paying, adding: “It took the news to reach out for them to respond.”
After this case, drivers parking in the area are urged to take a picture of their parking receipt and, if the receipt is electronic, wait for a text message confirmation from the system before leaving their car.
They should also be aware of the parking pass’s validity period and ensure the licence plate number on the receipt is correct.
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving 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 a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial. Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail. Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative. Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle. Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better. Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state. Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly. Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases. Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
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