ROCKFORD TOWING A ruined night out in Downtown Rockford! CAUSE: Rockford Towing Vultures!!! Rockford Illinois
We wanted to have a night out and eat at the Villa Capri restaurant. Not knowing the front door is the back door we parked across the street in a lot with other cars present. No signage was visible and snow banks were piled high around the lots. Realizing that the front entrance is in the back we entered there.
Unknowingly to us, as we were being seated with in 5 minutes our car was being towed, around 8:10p.m.. ROCKFORD TOWING hovering, like vultures to snag innocent patrons of the Villa Carpi.and any downtown business. After leaving the Villa thinking we were going to another downtown establishment. Our car was gone! It was stolen!
in a panic, then we saw a sign.. Rockford Towing Half BARRIED in the SNOW!
hardly visible. The VULTURES towed our car!! We called Rockford Towing and Yes it had been towed AT the COST of $125.00!! We went back into the restaurant to let them know what happened. Then called to get a ride to retrieve our car. ROCKFORD TOWING is in abandon Rock quarry off of Latham rd. Barely visible to find and erie to see. Like a Steve King novel we went down the winding road to a old trailer with bars on the windows. Looking around you see abandon cars and vechiles that have been left to die.
Our car was held hostage for $125.00 which we paid unwillingly with our hard earned dollars. That's what we get for trying to Help REVITALIZE Downtown and do our part in this economy for our city of Rockford. We will not go downtown. At no fault of the Villa and any other establishment. for fear of The cost will out weigh any Pleasure..East state street Corporate restaurants here we come!!!! Parking is FREE! Beware if you go downtown!!!! you may their next VICTIM!!
Richard
rockford, Illinois
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Buffalo,New York,
U.S.A.
Another perspective.
#2Consumer Comment
Sun, February 01, 2009
This won't help you but as a rental property owner I have a different perspective.
A lot of money goes into a parking lot. The property has to be purchased, permits pulled, paved, lined, and POSTED (NOTICES put up for those who were never taught not to used someone else's property without permission of the owner.) Then there is the annual cost of maintenance, insurance, and property taxes that need to be paid. None of this is free or cheap. FREE municipal parking is normally CLEARLY MARKED as such, just as PAY AS YOU PARK municipal parking is marked.
When an unathorized person uses any of the parking spots, they are, in fact, stealing. They are stealing from my tenants who indirectly PAY for the parking spots they are assigned and expect them to be empty when they are not using them. They are stealing from me because I am not being compensated for the use of my parking area. It matters not whether they park for 10 minutes or 10 hours, they are stealing the use of someone else's property. When I am made aware of an unauthorized use of a parking space, I don't hesitate to call for it's removal-it get's towed within 10 minutes of my call and the towing and storage fees are at the vehicle owner's expense.
As to the restaraunt you patronized. They're not responsible as you noted in your report BUT it seems to me that as a courtesy to their patrons, they could put a note on the entrance you used (back door) to REMIND THEIR CUSTOMERS NOT TO PARK in the parking lot you used. If there is free parking for their patrons available somewhere, it would be good business to include the free parking location on the door sign. I think it's safe to assume that you're not the first person to have this unfortunate situation.
The only other advice I might give you is to go downtown and check into your municipal and state statutes regarding parking on private property and towing. Here, the laws are very specific as to the SIGNAGE that must be posted, right down to the size of the various lettering for "visability" (and stiputations about obstructions.) IF the signage is non-compliant or if the tow company doesn't have the proper licenses, insurance and permits, you might be able to recover in small claims court.