My truck was towed away... What does the law say?

Question

My truck broke down at McDonald's, so I left it there for almost 24 hours while waiting for the repair shop (next door) to re-open after the weekend.

When I went to get the truck this morning, it had been towed. There were "tow away zone" signs in the lot, but I had been a customer at the McDonald's when it broke down, and it wasn't there all that long.

The sign had the wrong phone number for the towing company so the Manager of McDonald's gave me the right one. I called and they said it would be about $200 to get my truck.

Their normal rate for towing is $50. Isn't $200 called inflation? Isn't that illegal?

Furthermore, how can McDonald's have my truck towed when I was a customer there when it broke down?

My questions are...

(1) Does any law protect me from a jacked-up price that the towers wouldn't charge if I called them on my own.

(2) Is there any way to get the charges reduced

(3) Any tips or suggestions for me?

This happened in Florida.

Thanks!

Answer 1

1) they can charge whatever they want. Who said they are supposed to charge $50? $200 seems quite low for a car, let alone a truck.

2) try asking McDonalds to intervene, especially if you're a good customer.

3) for future reference, when a car breaks down and is illegally parked, you should leave a note on the windshield with an explanation of the problem, the estimated time the mechanic will arrive, and your name and phone number.

Answer 2

(1) Unfortunately tow yards can charge anything they darn well please for you to get your car out of impound. Um... I hate to tell you this but $200 is CHEAP!!! When I lived in San Diego, my friend parked in a tow away zone when he was visiting my condo complex, and it cost him around $500 to get his car back the next morning.

(2) You can try pleading with them (the tow yard) but my experience with them has been very negative. I once had a landlord tow my car right off my driveway to be a jerk because I couldn't afford the rent that month. I called the police and they said he had every right to tow it because it was on his property, but if it had been on the street he would have gotten in trouble. The tow yard wanted over $900 (this was in WA state) which I didn't have, so I lost my car to the tow yard and there was nothing I could do about it. Pay it asap because they're going to ream you with more ripoff charges daily. They are SUCH crooks!!!

You'd think that with all the insane laws we have, somebody would pass a law putting a ceiling on what these crooks can charge.

Answer 3

That you had been a customer earlier doesn't allow you to use their lot as a parking lot for 24 hours. Once you were no longer in the McD, they were free to have you towed.

The fees for private property tows are up the tow company "unless" there's a local law that limits them. There's no Statewide law, so try calling your local cops and asking them.

Richard

Answer 4

i'm no longer confident why he has 2 left lug nuts. the two he has 2 lug nuts or a million left lug nut while you're speaking approximately his nuts. once you're speaking on the subject of the precise truck he could have plenty greater advantageous than 2. Sorry have not have been given any theory. humorous tale in spite of the undeniable fact that as i'm from Gresham it was a chief tale precise right here.

Answer 5

I don't know Florida's law,so you need check do to the diff. in each state.But inArizona only the owner of the vehicle or an officer of the law can have a veh. towed.We call the police from the impound lot and request an officer stating ,my car is being held for ransom.

Answer 6

Did you ASK them if you could leave your truck there????I bet if you did, you would have never had this problem.