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ANGERED drivers had a rude awakening on Monday after their cars were abruptly towed under a new parking crackdown.
The new traffic law left several Illinois residents reeling over massive $235 fines that needed to be paid immediately.
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Every winter in Chicago, a winter parking ban is enforced to protect cars on the side of the road from being trapped by snow plows.
The law covers 107 miles of main street throughout the city and is in effect between December 1 and April 1 from 3 to 7 am.
The city gave drivers a day-long grace period on Sunday to account for the holiday weekend – but residents were hit with tickets on Monday.
The fines cost a minimum of $235 thanks to a $150 towing fee, a $60 ticket, and a $25 storage fee.
READ MORE ON PARKING RULES
The number goes up by $25 each day due to the daily storage fee.
“Taking our cars for no reason at all,” Miguel Rivera, whose car was towed, told ABC affiliate WLS.
“It ain’t fair. We are poor people we ain’t rich,” he added.
There are signs posted along the affected streets to warn drivers about the parking ban, but Chicago residents have still been left furious by the tickets.
“I came out and I was like where is my car? And it was gone,” Martin Wauson, whose car was towed, said.
“I was freaking out. Had to Uber to work.
“Not a great way to start the day ya know?”
The crackdown is in effect every single day for the winter months, whether it snows or not.
The parking ban makes sure snow plows, public transportation buses, and emergency vehicles can move through Chicago’s busy streets if snow starts falling.
Residents who wake up to find their car towed can try calling 311 to find out where their vehicle was taken.
Vehicles towed overnight are taken to one of two impound lots in the city.
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
When two or more inches of snow are expected, the parking rule expands to ban parking on 500 miles of city streets.
When the two-inch snow ban is activated, cars illegally parked can be ticketed or relocated.
ANOTHER PARKING BAN
The overnight parking ban comes as another law is set to hit Chicago drivers on December 5.
The city’s Smart Streets initiative will bring automatic tickets to residents who park in bus or bike lanes.
Drivers will be slapped with $250 fines for illegal parking – and cops don’t even have to be present to write the ticket because the violations will be caught on the city’s cameras.
Written warnings will be issued for the first 30 days of the new measures.
Are you covered by law to park on a public street?
Parking on a public street is generally legal, even in front of someone’s house, experts say.
Unless the home is in an HOA subdivision, an apartment complex with assigned spaces, or there are posted laws against parking during certain days or hours, it is not illegal to park a vehicle in front of someone’s home on a public street.
“Generally speaking, an individual citizen does not ‘own’ or have any ongoing exclusive right to use a parking space on a public street,” wrote Nolo Legal.
“These spaces are open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.”
Most states do have rules against vehicles being parked in the same spot for 72 hours, or blocking fire hydrants, driveways, and sidewalks, as a parked vehicle in those spaces presents a safety hazard.
