ComplaintsforBar Towing Inc

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I turned on to Industral Way, in **** ******, where there were multiple no parking on the road signs, along with several businesses and restaurants. As I went further down the road there was a storage yard company on my left and no parking signs on my right, at the entrance of the storage yard and their parking lot, they had an easel sign that states PARKING FORCUSTOMERS OF NORTHWEST SELF STORAGE UNAUTHORIZED OR IMPROPERLY PARKED VEHICLES WILL BE TOWED AT OWNERS EXPENSE PURSUANT TO ORS. 98.810-98.812 LOT IS MONITORED 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK BAR TOWING INC. ************ *********************************************** DRIVER HAS RATE SHEET.Letting you know they dont want you parking in their parking lot. Well past that, there is a gravel easement along side the road, with enough room for about 3 cars to parallel park with NO no parking signs. Directly across the street, their are multiple signs not to park there. So I parked where it was safe to do so. In a matter of 12 minutes, my car got towed. Fortunately I saw, avoiding impound fees, BUT I was charged $260 to take my car off the truck. Fair enough IF I was parked in a NO parking zone! I talked with the tow truck owner, ****, who explained that it is private property and I am not allowed to be there, (no signs). And when I repeated to tell him there were no signs, he said there is no where to put them right there.After discussing this with others I felt the need to report this because it almost feels like entrapment. I would not have parked there if there was a sign saying no parking. **** claims that because it is all private property, that the one sign at the entrance of the driveway is enough to cover the whole property. But how are daily drivers suppose to know that. People park on the side of the road all the time. I know I likely wont get my money back, but I really feel like it is some sort of a scheme they are running, especially after how he treated me.

  Business response

  08/13/2022

  Maddie and to whomever else this concerns,
  

  I understand the hurt feelings that accompany having your car impounded.
  

  The cause of your problem was your choice to park improperly.  You raise some points in your complaint. I would like to address several of them directly.
  
  You stated: I turned on to Industral (spelling incorrect) Way, in **** ******, where there were multiple no parking on the road signs,
  You drove past 46, yes., FORTY-SIX TOW AWAY SIGNS!!!! To find the one area where there was a gap in the signage and then parked your car impinging on the roadway behind the forty seventh sign.
  
  You stated: After discussing this with others I felt the need to report this because it almost feels like entrapment.
  The definition of entrapment: Entrapment occurs when a government agent persuades or influences you to commit a crime that you otherwise would not have committed.
  The property is posted at the entrance and exits as required by ****** statute. Under ORS rules, you must abide by the rules of private property and in this case, it was no parking anywhere you were not doing business. You parked, walked past a locked gate, and patronized another business at another address; precisely the problem the signs were posted to prevent.
  Maddie, you ignored 46 signs on industrial way, ignored the sign directly in front of where you parked, parked your vehicle partially on the roadway, chose not make a quick call to verify if parking was allowed there.  You created the circumstances requiring a tow.
  We tow at our clients request. There is nothing predatory nor unfair about what we did with your vehicle.  Your demand that we return your money is denied.

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  ****** and to whomever else this concerns,
  
  I understand the hurt feelings that accompany having your car impounded. 
  
  The cause of your problem was your choice to park improperly.  You raise some points in your complaint. I would like to address several of them directly.
  
  You stated; **** claims that because it is all private property, that the one sign at the entrance of the driveway is enough to cover the whole property. But how are daily drivers suppose (grammar) to know that. People park on the side of the road all the time.
  
  Attached is the photo of the large and obvious 18 by 24-inch sign that states you were entering a private road.
  
  You stated; Well past that, (towing warning sign) there is a gravel easement along side the road, with enough room for about 3 cars to parallel park with NO no parking signs.
  
  Attached is a photo of the sign (sign number 47!) sitting in the gravel directly in front of where you parked.  I am not sure what you mean by an easement, but You parked about 20 feet behind the sign, and in conversation indicated you saw the sign and ignored it.
  
  You stated: I turned on to Industral (spelling incorrect) Way, in **** ******, where there were multiple no parking on the road signs,
  
  You drove past 46, yes., FORTY-SIX TOW AWAY SIGNS!!!! To find the one area where there was a gap in the signage and then parked your large SUV impinging on the roadway behind the forty seventh sign. 
  
  You stated: So I parked where it was safe to do so. 
  
  Attached is a photograph of your vehicle impinging into the roadway. Creating a road hazard is a towable offence.
  
  You stated: After discussing this with others I felt the need to report this because it almost feels like entrapment.
  
  The definition of entrapment: Entrapment occurs when a government agent persuades or influences you to commit a crime that you otherwise would not have committed.  Can you please explain how you were given incentives to park in violation?
  
  The property is posted at the entrance and exits as required by ****** statute. Under ORS rules, you must abide by the rules of private property and in this case, it was no parking anywhere you were not doing business. You parked, walked past a locked gate, and patronized another business at another address; precisely the problem the signs were posted to prevent.
  
  ******, you ignored 46 signs on industrial way, ignored the sign directly in front of where you parked, parked your vehicle partially on the roadway, chose not to make a quick call to verify if parking was allowed there.  You created the circumstances requiring a tow. 
  
  We tow at our clients request. There is nothing predatory nor unfair about what we did with your vehicle.  
  
  Your demand that we return your money is denied. 
  
  
  *********************
  Operations Manager
  Bar Towing Inc. 
  ***********************************
  160 ********************************.
  **** ** 97702
  

  
  

  Customer response

  08/16/2022

   
  Complaint: 17706567
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Yes I passed multiple no parking signs, alluding to the acceptance of parking in an area with no signs. The entrapment comment is in regards to the fact that you are an official (towing company) deliberately leaving a gap in the signage, which you admit to, only to tow people to make money. Which actually would fit more under predictory towing.   

  Your stated The property is posted at the entrance and exits as required by
  ****** statute. Hence the sign that I parked BEHIND was at the ENTRANCE of the business, me parking on the side of the road was NOT in the business parking lot! That is why I didnt park by the 47 no parking signs. I found a spot that was acceptable to park in because it was NOT marked for no parking. Hence there would be no reason for me to call and ask permission to park there. There was a locked gate at the end of the road, once again alluding that there is no through traffic and this was an acceptable spot to park. You also admitted verbally on our phone conversation that there is no place to put signs at the spot I parked, (which is not true), therefore showing in my favor of bad business and or predatory towing! Wrongful towing! Not how I would run a business and or want my name to be known. I would like my money back and more signs put in that spot if they dont want people parking there. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  08/22/2022

  ****,

  Please let me make one final response to your revised complaint. ****** passed a large sign (photo attached) stating you were entering private property. Under ****** law the sign is your notice that you are required to abide by their rules AND your acceptance that you may be towed without warning if you operate in violation of the posted notices.  There was no alluding to an agreement; the conditions are stated precisely on the signs; YOU QUOTED THEM IN YOUR FIRST COMPLAINT! You parked improperly; you were towed.

  Lets address one particular sign; a portable easel board sign placed in the gravel five or more feet east of the entrance to the business parking lot. It was there to prevent people from parking in the gravel. If they wanted to keep people out of the lot, they would have placed it at the entrance to their parking lot. Enclosed is a picture of your truck parked within easy sight of the sign. The sign is in the gravel twenty something feet in front of your Expedition. You acknowledged seeing and choosing to ignore the sign prior to parking. The sign was placed there to give you notice not to park in that area. You can see a pathway to the building in your photo and the shadow of the sign in a photo from your original complaint (attached).

  ****, at no point in your complaint do you take any responsibility for your choices. You passed by 40 some odd signs, parked impeding into the roadway, parked on the same side of the road as another specific sign for the storage company and decided that you had no need to check to make sure that you were not in any conflict with current signage and rules. Those are all your choices. No one else had any influence on your decisions.

  The impound was because of your choices and your consequences are not our fault.

  The tow was not predatory.  The tow was not wrongful and if you look at our reviews you will see that we strive to ensure everybody is happy with our work. All the negative reviews are people who willfully parked on well posted private property and complained bitterly about facing the consequences.

  What I stated during our conversation is that there is no place to easily put signs up and you said they should be on the building. The building is removed from the road with significant landscaping. I am quite sure that if there had been a sign on the building your complaint would include the sign location and further justification for your actions.

  ******, there is no legal requirement to place any additional signs on the premises and I believe our clients have spent enough money to notify the public about parking and have no legal, ethical, or moral requirement to give additional notice.

  I do suggest that in the future, if you have a scintilla of doubt, call the posted number on the warning signs; we are happy to give you explicit information to make sure you dont get towed.

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