Complaint Review: CITY Towing C T I - Dallas Texas

I drove straight from Tulsa, OK to Jake's Hamburgers on McKinney in the uptown Dallas art district on a Sunday evening in June, 06. At about 9:00PM I parked in the Uptown McKinney Retail Shopping center at 2633 McKinney Ave (McKinney Ave and Boll). About 5 other cars were parked in the lot and all the shops were closed. I looked for "no parking" signs but did not see any. I most certainly would not have parked there if I had seen a sign stating my car could be towed as a result.

When I returned about 40 minutes later, my car was gone. Only when, one in our party suggested that we look for Tow Away Zone signs did we search the more than 100 liner feet of store front shopping finally finding 1 sign posted 7 feet high, over 40 feet away, situated so that the building's overhanging eve hid the top tow truck icon, with the majority of letters being less that 2 inches tall. I called the number on the bottom of the sign and was informed that my car had been towed by CITY VEHICLE STORAGE @ 3203 Pluto Street, 75212 and it that it would cost me $138.00 to get it back.

I arrived at the vehicle storage lot with no small amount of difficulty and got in line to pay. CITY towed 15 cars from that lot on this particular evening. Their employees were safely hidden from view behind a one way mirror and counter. My driver's license and car rental agreement were locked inside my impounded car, and I should have been offered access to the vehicle to retrieve that documentation in accordance with House Bill 480 amended Occupations Code, 2303.158. However, instead, I was told that if I could not produce my current and correct Driver's License then, my son (who was present and had his license) would have to sign for the release. An additional charge of $10.00 for a notarizing an Affidavit of Right of Possession or Control was then added to my expenses.

I requested the name of the propertie's owner or company who had granted CITY Towing permission to tow my car but I was refused. House Bill 2630 requires the name, address, and telephone number of the Justice of the Peace's court be included in the contents of the notices provided to the owners of towed vehicles. But my receipt from CITY provided only portions of that needed information. CITY's receipt listed an incomplete address and 2 phone numbers for the Justice of the Peace over the area of their offices and storage as Judge Juan Jasso. One of the phone numbers gives a disconnected number recording. The other number rings at a Government building but the recording is difficult to understand. I called 4 times but no one ever picked up. I did manage to leave a message asking for the Judge's complete address, but no one returned my call.

House Bill 480, House Bill 1584 and House Bill 2630 all added language requiring a vehicle storage facility operator to accept electronic checks, debit cards, or credit cards as an alternative form of payment for vehicle storage charges. City only takes Diner Club and MasterCard or Cash. For an additional $10 charge, other cards will be accepted.

I spoke with Judy King, part owner and Property Manager of the Uptown McKinney Shopping center, by phone twice. On July 11, 2006, she informed me that she was completely aware of the lack of signs on her property and confirmed her contract with CITY Towing. Just prior to my car being towed on June 26th, she had been informed, by a City of Dallas representative, that more Tow Zone

warning signs needed to be posted on the premise of the

Uptown/McKinney Retail Shopping Center. She added that a few days after my car was towed, ...several more Tow Zone signs had been posted. However, when I visited the location again to take photos, I did not see any additional signs.

Vicky

Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.