Car Towed from Private Garage Due to Registration Sticker Not Affixed

[annaya92]

My question involves vehicle registration or title in the state of: Maryland.

My registered vehicle was towed from a city owned garage for which I pay monthly parking because I did not affix the renewal sticker with the new unexpired year. There was much effort to discover this neglect on my part because the vehicle was actually parked with the rear end against a wall. I suspect it would have been necessary for a tow truck to pull the vehicle forward or squeeze oneself behind the vehicle between it and the wall to view the back plate.

Had due diligence been exercised, such as accessing Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration records to determine the validity of my vehicle’s registration status, there would have been no reason for towing. In addition, in communicating with a MVA representative, failure to have the sticker displayed results in either a warning or a ticket, certainly not a violation warranting a tow.

Is this worth pursuing for a small claims suit?

Thanks!

[Mr. Knowitall]

What about the tow do you believe to have been unlawful?

[aardvarc]

If the tow was conducted by a private company, such as are often contracted by cities to patrol their parking facilities, and not by law enforcement (who don't have to worry about such things when tow companies have been hired to perform the function of overseeing such parking facilities), they don't run your tags to make sure they are valid. They depend on the owner following the law about properly affixing a valid decal. That's exactly WHY such decals are required - even if tow drivers have to swing from trees, dig tunnels, or use intricate mirror systems in order to verify a valid sticker. The failure of due dilligence here is your own in failing to affix that valid sticker. And MVA reps have no oversight of what either police OR towing companies do, so their assessment that a tow wasn't warranted is legally irrelevent - all they do is process the registrations and report status of such. Your city ordinances govern the definition and actions regarding illegally parked vehicles (expired registration = illegal). Even if MVA records showed a valid registration, you still have the burden of DISPLAYING that sticker as required. Exactly what do you think you'll say to the small claims judge? There was either a valid sticker on it, or there wasn't.

[annaya92]

Thank you for your responses. It appears from your responses small claims court will be a waste of my time.