2 weeks Ago By Michael Golson
A HOST of young drivers were nearly forced to pay out hundreds of dollars after their cars were wrongly towed.Four students attending their prom over the weekend had their vehicles towed – after what appears to be a breakdown in communication.AlamyA host of students had their vehicles towed during their prom[/caption]Google MapsThe venue of the prom had over 400 guests on the night, and using a private parking lot nearby[/caption]In a report by FOX4KC, four cars parked in a private parking lot adjacent to the Madrid Theater, Kansas City, Missouri, were taken away before the night was through.
The parking lot, located off Wyandotte Street, is owned by Kansas City’s Metropolitan Community Church, which is enforced by Private Party Towing.And according to a theater staff member, it is thought the church may not have received word that the parking lot would be needed on Saturday.Jay Bloodworth, owner of the towing company, said: “The church actually called us, and indicated they wanted the vehicles to be removed.
”According to Bloodworth, the theater managers quickly realized what had happened and paid the $900 fee to release the four cars.Bloodworth said: “All parties kind of took responsibility for it, and everybody worked together to resolve it.“It was nice to see someone that has a venue go out of their way to take care of a guest.
”He added that in 15 years working in the industry, he had never seen a venue owner pay a towing bill to cover a mistake.Madrid Theater managers say some 400 people attended Saturday night’s event, which was made up of students from Raymore-Peculiar High School.“We did what we could to make it right,” Missy McVicker, Madrid Theater sales and events director, said.
“We own up that there was a ball that was dropped. Unfortunately, those four cars and their owners took the brunt of it.“Hopefully, it doesn’t happen again, but we did what we could, I guess, to make it right.
”The high school later issued an apology.“I want to apologize for the towing incident that occurred during last night’s prom, where four vehicles were mistakenly removed from the venue’s parking area,” Principal Scott Bacon wrote to families.“This was due to an error on the part of the venue, and we understand the disruption this caused on an evening meant to celebrate our students.
“The venue has acknowledged their mistake and has already covered all charges directly with the towing company. No students or families were charged as a result of this error.”This comes as a woman has been left fuming over a boat that’s been parked outside her house for a year – leaving her to demand county officials to remove it.
After numerous calls to 311, the woman filed a complaint with the city council in a desperate attempt to get rid of the abandoned boat.Connie Boddie has resided in Prince George’s County for over 30 years, but has witnessed a frustrating development in her neighborhood.She noticed that someone had illegally parked a boat in her neighborhood for more than a year without moving it at all, as reported by the NBC News affiliate WRC-TV.
“It was very distracting,” said Connie Boddie.“I just got really upset about it because it wasn’t supposed to be there.”What to do if your car is towedWrongfully 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.
