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Legally Parked Vehicle Towed as 'Abandoned'

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  • 05-11-2012, 03:16 AM
    marewrath6
    Legally Parked Vehicle Towed as 'Abandoned'
    My question involves a traffic citation from the state of: Florida

    I am visiting a friend in Biscayne Park (right out of miami); he wasn't sure about parking so i turned down a sidestreet right after his house and parked directly behind two other cars, right outside of the sidewalk and not on private property, where there were no signs or anything indicating that was not okay--which shouldnt matter, because the police had it towed as it was considered abandoned. Basically the next day I walked ovr to find that it was gone, and upon calling the police, they had various records of a 'suspicious vehicle' and so on and finally the police arrived to speak with me.

    They informed me it had been towed because it was considered abandoned; when I asked what led them to believe or in any way verify as much, they told me you can't just park anywhere, thats the law. i asked which law I had violated, and they laughed. When i asked again, they were yet unable to provide one, which, again, shouldnt matter because it was considered abandoned and not illegally parked. it was there for about 12 hours, which I also mentioned, and one of the cops said it didnt matter if it was 12, 24, 36 hours, etc... I'm not sure what he exactly he was trying to convey. my valid lisence and registration were found inside, myself being a small 22 year old girl from Massachusetts, but they did not puruse any report of a stolen vehicle or missing persons.

    my phone was dead at that point, my charger in the car, and the friend im staying with was out of town for the day, and the tow company was almost 4 miles away, so whatever I do I will have to do today. I have not had the best luck on this trip and have about $150 to my name at the moment... I'm not even sure what I am going to do, and I am most worried about th fact that the police ordered this tow--so who would I even turn to about feeling like 'my rights' were distinctly violated and I should not have to pay this tow, let alone deal with all of this?
  • 05-11-2012, 08:38 AM
    Mr. Knowitall
    Re: Legally Parked Vehicle Towed as 'Abandoned'
    The towing occurred under the auspices of what statute or ordinance? Please provide the specific statute or ordinance number.

    Was the car properly registered and insured, with current plates / tags? Did it have any obvious physical or mechanical defects - leaking fluids, broken windows, and the like?
  • 05-11-2012, 06:07 PM
    marewrath6
    Re: Legally Parked Vehicle Towed as 'Abandoned'
    the notice of seizure lists "sec.932.701 et. seq., Florida Statutes", if thats what you mean? the only reason provided is "vehicle abandoned'. the storage receipt provided is mostly too faint to read, he actually rewrote the name and supposed number of the company that had my car on this copy--the wrong one, i might add, i had to be driven to two to find my car. there was no obviosu damage on the car beforehand,although he wrote 'vehcile in poor condition' over all of the checkboxes describing potential damage, but i dont know what led him to believe as much. the insurance, tags, and registration were all current--and i am actually now just making out where it says 'key in ignition, trunk locked, registration papers', all checked yes--but the key most certainly was not in the ignition.

    when i got to my car today, the glovve compartment was open, and i couldnt find thge registration--which i needed to get the car back. found it on the ground several feet behind the car, at last, and $150 or so was also missing from the glove compartment.
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