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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    1

    Default Illegal Towing

    My question involves towing laws for the State of: Baltimore County, Maryland

    I perform surgery at a surgery center at the 1300 block of Bellona in Lutherville, Baltimore County. There is another cosmetic center next to it with parking spaces where I have parked before in the very back. There are no visible signs of reserved parking other than numbered parking spaces. There is no street number to indicate what those numbers mean. I was told
    those were reserved parking spaces while I was performing surgery and to move my vehicle. I have had no prior notices in the past when I parked there previously. There were no tow signs posted at the time I parked there.
    Later that morning the other center barricaded my car with cars in the front and back, effectively blocking my car from moving. I have pictures of their vehicles and license plate numbers. I assumed I was going to be performing surgery there all day, the other center would have closed by the time I left and they would have moved their car. In between cases, I spoke to the property manager of the building complex. He stated they were allowed 15 parking spaces. He stated he spoke the the center's manage to move their car so I could move my car. When I came out of surgery at the end of the day, I noticed towing signs were placed and my car was towed without prior notification (approximately 1 pm). The property complex manager/owner stated he signed a towing contract with the towing companty approximately 10 am, requested by the other center's manager for a towing sign. He, however, did not sign an authorization to have my car towed.
    The manager of the towing company stated that Baltimore County Ordinance does allow a car to be towed upon posting a sign with no grace period or prior notification, even though my car was legally parked that same morning when there were no visible signs posted. The towing company stated I would have to sue them to get my money back. I have not been able to find any ordinance about posting a sign and a grace period or requirement of notification prior to towing a vehicle. There is an ordinance (21-10A-01 to 06) stating a sign has to be visible, the owner has to authorize the towing and violation of transportation ordinane can result in 3 times the cost of towing fees. I am just trying to get my money back and need supporting documentation or Baltimore County Transportation Ordinance to support my case that they cannot just put up a sign and tow one's vehicle after the fact. The other question is who should I go after to get my money back, the owners of the vehicle, the cosmetic center or the towing company? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks."

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Illegal Towing

    Unless you find a local ordinance, as you've already seen for yourself, there's not a statute that says how long a sign must be posted before a car may be towed.

    If you sue in small claims court, establish that there were no signs when you parked, and have your witness testify that before the signs were posted you were parked in by the business's employees when you tried to move your car, you may be able to convince a court to reimburse you. I'm not particularly sympathetic that you didn't recognize that parking spaces with big numbers on them weren't assigned spaces, but if there were no signs there were no signs. On the other hand, parking you in so that they could post signs and then tow you isn't equitable conduct.

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