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FESTIVALGOERS have blasted tow companies for yanking their cars and charging massive $500 fines – despite having limited warning signs.
Attendees of a Renaissance festival feel blindsided by the fees, but operators claim there was more than sufficient guidance.
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In Las Vegas, Nevada, fantasy lovers, and history buffs came together to attend the Age of Chivalry festival, where knights battle it out in jousting tournaments and themed vendors offer medieval souvenirs.
The popular weekend-long event was held in a park with limited parking in North Las Vegas from October 11th to the 13th, leading some to find alternate spots.
One teen who went to the festival parked at a nearby shopping center with his friends and was horrified to find it had disappeared after the day’s activities.
Once he tracked down the car, the price to get the car back left him speechless.
“They picked up my son’s car and took it all the way to North Las Vegas, which was OK,” his mom, Adinwoh, told ABC affiliate KTNV.
“But when I got there, I was shocked that for a 20-mile drive, their charge was over $500.
“It’s wrong.”
In the parking lot, there are signs warning drivers that spaces are for customers only, but Adinwoh said the signage wasn’t visible from her son’s spot.
Now, she’s begging the shopping center to make changes that could save drivers hundreds.
“When there’s an event, there should be some kind of tape,” she said.
“My kid actually ate at the McDonald’s, which is still at the same parking complex.
“How do you justify that he only went to Renaissance, and he was not using the other businesses around?”
Other attendees have complained that signs weren’t appropriately posted throughout the lot.
One Renaissance fan claimed a sign simply urged her not to leave valuables in her car but didn’t mention she could be returned to a painful $500 fee.
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
- Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.
If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
- Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
- Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
- Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
And another speculated that operators come out of the woodwork for these events and wait for drivers to leave their cars to pounce.
“They knew that the fair was happening, and they targeted that area knowing that there was no signage except the one sign off of the entrance off of Eastern and Sunset,” Denise, who went to the festival, said.
Kings Towing and Tow Guys were two companies that pulled cars from the lot, and neither of them admitted to wrongdoing.
Kings did not comment on the local outlets, while Tow Guys said they followed the rules.
One crew member with Tow Guys admitted they pulled “a lot” of cars during the festival weekend.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to both companies for comment.
On Age of Chivalry’s website, festivalgoers are advised to park at the park or at two nearby public schools.
“Please avoid parking in unauthorized areas such as nearby businesses or red zones, as vehicles parked in these locations will be subject to tow,” the website reads.
