2 days Ago By Israel Salas-Rodriguez
A DRIVER was left stranded after his vehicle was towed despite paying a parking fee. Sam Marcrom called the towing issue "predatory" after he said his car was hauled away when he and his wife parked at a private lot operated by Pay to Park in downtown Birmingham, Alabama . "I think it's a commonly held concern this is happening at an alarming rate," he told ABC affiliate WBMA-LD .
Marcrom said they paid for parking space, but his wife accidentally entered their tag number wrong. "They were unwilling to refund our money, even though we had paid," he added. Marcrom said he had to shell down $165 for the towing fee to retrieve his vehicle.
Read more in The U.S. Sun The issue has been ongoing among drivers who use Paid to Park Lot dating back to 2016, according to WBMA-LD.
'BLACK EYE ON THE CITY' A new class action lawsuit was filed against the company Parking Enforcement Systems (PES), CRC2, which owns the lots, and the lot's manager, Robert L. Crooks Jr. The suit called the tow trucks operating for the company "modern-day pirates" with "mafia-like collection practices.
" "PES has a community-wide reputation for bullying, demeaning, and being rude to the public, and PES effectively makes the public beg to get their vehicle back," the suit, filed in February, read. Most read in Motors "PES also forces the owner of the vehicle to electronically 'sign' and assent to terms and conditions never agreed to in the initial parking space rental transaction. "The type of predatory towing and mafia-like collection practices has been a black eye on the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County for over a decade.
" Attorney Michael Parrish, who is representing the plaintiff in the suit, is calling to end the alleged corruption practice. "We believe we can stop this practice," he told the outlet. Parrish's client also got his vehicle towed after entering the wrong tag number.
At the tow lot, Parrish said his client was "required to sign additional terms and conditions on an electronic pad that he could not see. It was late at night. "What was on that pad in order to get his car back.
" The suit argues that the vehicles are held hostage, and drivers are not given proper information on filing complaints with the city or receipts. "This city has revamped ordinances twice since 2013. Whether that is working or not, it doesn't appear to be," the attorney added.
Read More on The US Sun The lawsuit is still making its way through the court system, according to WBMA-LD. The U.S.
Sun has reached out to Parrish for comment. 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.
