Tow Trap
beware of tow trucks threatening to impound your car
April 3rd, 2009
As a recipient of many parking tickets, I go through the same routine quite often: get the ticket, forget about the ticket, receive a letter in the mail telling me I owe now $50 instead of the original $25, then I go to the Salt Lake City Traffic Court building and wait my turn to speak to a hearing officer who will reduce the amount back to $25 and often just $15.
I know that if I arrive around 2 PM I can park in an empty residential apartment lot just to the South of the building. Yesterday I proceeded with my usual routine. But then when I came out I found the back of my car hoisted up on a tow truck. and a big man with neck hair was proceeding to buckle up my car and prepare it for removal.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm towing your car away."
"I can't believe this, I was in there less than 10 minutes."
"That's what they all say."
"You can either pay me $120 now or pay at the impound lot."
"$120! You go to be kidding me, this is an empty parking lot!"
"Well I guess I'll cut you a break and just charge you a boot fee of $80. But it has to be cash."
I then get suspicious and begin to believe that what this guy is doing is some sort of scam. So I call bluff.
"Well I guess you are just going to have to tow my car. Because I don't have an ATM card and I can't pay."
Randy then makes a phone call. I get a call from my friend Seth, he recommends I stay in my car and lock it, then tell him I have all day and I'm not going anywhere.
I get in. Its cold outside and its a relief to be back in my car that Randy was attempting to assume possession over. I just sit.
Randy doesn't budge. Randy then comes over to tell me he needs to leave and he either needs to take my car or get paid. I tell Randy I've called my wife to come and pay the bill.
I called my wife and she came and gave Randy the 80 bucks. But the whole thing smelled like a scam to me. So I have done some research. According to allexperts.com in most states it's illegal to tow or impound a car without a landord or building manager signing a doucument authorizing their consent. Randy didn't say antything about a building manager. I'm going to research Utah the law then update this story.
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