A DRIVER has been left fuming after their car was towed from a parking lot before their ticket expired, claiming they were “lied to” about the restrictions.
Several motorists had complained of the same issue, with police having to step in to ease tensions.
Sabrina Vega found herself stranded with her two kids when her car disappeared from a parking lot near the River Centre mall in downtown San Antonio, TX.
She claimed that she paid a two-hour permit and returned to the same spot exactly on the hour, only to find her vehicle gone.
The mom was then informed that the car had been towed for allegedly exceeding her stay time and was being held in impound.
And she told KENS 5 that she wasn’t the only one, saying: “My car was already gone.
“Quite a few families were left here in the parking lot not knowing where their vehicles were.
“[The parking company] need to take responsibility for it.
“It’s their property and they’re just hurting people.”
The group of drivers then filed a police report, which seemed to shed some light on the situation.
While they could not prove that Ms Vega’s vehicle was towed early, cops did find that one of the group’s cars was taken at least 18 minutes before the end of their permit.
In their report, the investigating officer also stated: “I advised all parties that the towing company is known for towing early or grabbing the vehicle as its time is about to expire.”
Ms Vega was eventually able to get her car back, but was forced to pay a $230 release fee as well as the cost of an Uber to get her to the impound.
Unfortunately, the police said they were unable to bring any enforcement against the company responsible.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
The parking lot is private property, meaning that the early towing dispute is technically a civil issue, not a criminal case.
According to KENS 5, the parking operator failed to respond to multiple requests for comment, even when presenter Andrew Moore visited their offices in person on camera.
It comes after it was revealed that drivers face $100 fines after the number of speed cameras on “America’s most hated road” was doubled.
