Comments on: Legal comeback against a Towing / Traffic Control Company?

Question: Legal comeback against a Towing / Traffic Control Company?

jacobean — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:42:10 -0800

Car Towed Away by Traffic Control Company - then broken into - what legal comeback do I have?

So my parking disc ran out by about 30mins...the car gets towed away an left in a deserted street by the "Traffic Control" company...arrive back to my car, to find smashed windows, important files and my notebook stolen.

I cannot believe this company would leave the car in such an unsafe neighbourhood in a secluded street. I am furious, what is my legal comeback?

By: brain cloud

brain cloud — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:46:43 -0800

City? State? Country?

By: box

box — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:53:47 -0800

I'm not a lawyer, but I have a feeling that when you let the parking disc run out, you were also agreeing to a wide variety of potential consequences and a very limited set of redresses. Like I said, I'm not a lawyer, but good luck.

By: jacobean

jacobean — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:59:43 -0800

in the UK...

By: cschneid

cschneid — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:53:36 -0800

Insurance first, then lawyer?

I've never heard of a towing company towing to an unsecured street. Seems like they'd want to impound your car somehow to make you pay up.

By: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:42:37 -0800

Are you sure it was the Traffic Control Company? Maybe it was just stolen. If it were me, I would first file a police report, then go to your insurance company. If it turns out it was the Traffic people, then be sure to let the insurance company know that and be sure to tell them that you have a police report. The insurance guys, if they work the same way as they do in the US, will go after the Traffic company and make them pay for it.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:01:39 -0800

cschneid writes "I've never heard of a towing company towing to an unsecured street. Seems like they'd want to impound your car somehow to make you pay up."

I've seen it done in peak periods (say pulling illegals from snow routes ahead of plows). The trucks just take the cars a couple blocks away to someplace with lots of street parking at night; usually business districts. It allows the critical streets to be cleared quicker because they didn't have to shlep cars all the way out to the impound, (and to make more money during a slow period where the city didn't contract with a single firm). After the route was clear the trucks go back and transfer the cars to the impound. Some people would be knowledgeable about the dodge and pick up their car before it could be taken to the impound thereby saving an impound fee.