I'm a little late to the party, but incase this applies there and you need to use it: In Montreal, when a tow truck tows your car from a private lot and demands $100 to get your car back, it is considered "THEFT". They are not allowed to hold your car for randsom. They are suppose to give you your car back and send u an invoice, and you dont even have to pay that. The owner of the private lot should pay. The problem is 99% of the public do not know that, and the tow truck companies take advantage of it.

This happened to me and about 10 others. we all parked in a strip mall and took the subway to catch the F1 races, when we got back all the cars were gone. The cops came by and forced the towing company to give us our backs back for FREE, and threatened to press charges for "kidnapping" the cars. The tow truck co. quickly obliged....

anyways, if it doesnt help...GL..and let us know what happens.

Sam

ps..I HATE TOW TRUCK COMPANIES

 

The exact thing happen to me in Arlington back in the early 90's off of Washington Blvd. Went into restaurant to inquire about parking and car was gone in under 3 mins. Car was towed maybe a mile away etc. Next day I drove by and saw the tow truck around the corner Waiting for his next victim.

 

I've seen these suckers tow - ****** and run..

 

Do not let appearances fool you! In a previous life I had as my next-door neighbor a Repo man. Just to put in in perspective, my ex and I had an income well into the 6-figure range at the time and we lived in an equivalent neighborhood...

Do the math once you have all your information. See if it is worth retaining an attorney. In an OT example, I last year had to completely rebuild the front of my 4 year old custom built house. I contacted a Real Estate attny who pointed out that even if I won a case against the former owner (who acted as his own general contractor= therefore the "culpable" one), collecting from him might be so painful/ impossible, plus the cost of the case would equal the cost of repairs AND I would still have to pay out of pocket for repairs.
In the end, I wrote out the checks for the repairs to save the hassle.
Has it been frustrating? Oh, heck yes!
Do I want to go to Sarasota and "take my frustrations out" on the former owner? You bet!
Will I? NEVER!

I learned my lessons and am moving on.

 

[QUOTE=993C4Smontreal;5254296]I'm a little late to the party, but incase this applies there and you need to use it: In Montreal, when a tow truck tows your car from a private lot and demands $100 to get your car back, it is considered "THEFT". .../QUOTE]

I like that approach! It would be interesting to see how the police would treat this situation. How can the property manager prove you weren't visiting one of the tenants on the property? Aren't they required to ticket you first? They might have a hard time with this but whether it's worth chasing is another thing unless you can prove damage has been done. It sounds like the towing company is being more than opportunistic here.

 

"he said they tow 100 cars a day and never had a problem."

At least they are experts.

 

While you are waiting to sort this out...

Buy a bottle of scotch and go to iTunes and download a copy of Steve Goodman's Lincoln Car Pirates.

 

How can they prove you werent in the parking lot your supposed to be in?

I have never been towed but I did get into a misunderstanding about painted lines in a parking spot in downtown San Jose Del Cabo (Cabo) where I parked. But after I got out of my car and a cop with an AK47 approached me and shook his head, I got the message and moved. The international language of AK47s and a full metal jacket is easy to understand.

 

You can always contact Verizon, give them the location and approximate time and they may be able to help in locating the guy.
Barring that, people in the store might also be good witnesses as I am sure they see them do this all day long. If it is their common practice to use a dolly, then they probably used one for your car as well.
Last but not least, I would immediately contact the owner/leasing agent and talk to them (in a calm and reasonable voice) and explain the situation. You might also point out to them that they had no idea if you went to the restaurant to check out the menu only to return and shop in the stores.
In the event of damage, both the operator of the tow company as well as the leasing agent and the owner of the strip mall have a potential liability claim. Their insurance rates would go up and I am sure their deductible is greater than the amount you would claim.
That would be where I would go first. Let them figth it out with the operator. He will work with them to maintain his contract with them and preserve his financial pipeline.
Good luck.
Ron

 

Not much to add, Steve, other than to say I feel your pain. I hope it all works out okay, my friend.

 

Just get the car in the air, and spin a rear wheel. If the front wheel moves with it, the coupling is okay. If the front wheels don't move, you now own a C2 ... and you are looking at a major repair, engine out, the whole 9 yards.

 

I bet they used a dolly. In fact, its probably better to get towed that way, than to see your car dragged onto a flat bed. My pickup was towed one time and I caught the tow truck driver dragging the locked wheels across the pavement and up the flat bed. I was so pissed I almost knocked his teeth out. I almost got my truck back, but a cop showed up after he saw the commotion screaming at the guy. He was honestly scared!

And dont forget the risk once the cars on the flatbed about the "dummy" chaining your car down on a flatbed by hooking into the aluminum suspension parts.

 

While that totally sucks, & seams like a scam, there watching the lot. I don't understand how any toe trunk can pick up any car in under 4min!!!

They might have put "dollies" under the rear tires, so they didn't touch the ground during the toe.

 

Hopefully they used dollies. Either way, I would feel EXTREMELY violated and INCENSED.

 

It is a scam, you can pass any day of the week and see them waiting in the wings for the next victim. It has been going on for ages.............