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DRIVERS who waited in long lines to exercise their civil duties have been left stranded after a towing company yanked cars from a lot and charged $200 fines.
Voters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, were shocked when their rides disappeared as they cast their ballots on Wednesday.
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Bumper-to-bumper traffic completely clogged up Lincoln Boulevard as early voters lined up to reach their nearest poll site.
Parking had completely filled, leaving dozens of drivers searching for any way to ditch their cars and make their voices heard in the presidential election.
Some drivers noticed there was room at the local restaurant Bedlam BBQ and decided to pull in.
However, the unlucky realized they had made a massive mistake after returning and realizing they were stranded.
“I come back and our car is gone,” resident Calvin Smith told NBC affiliate KFOR.
“I’m wondering what happened. What happened?”
Another yanked driver, Augustus Fields, said he learned the restaurant owner was the person behind the tow.
“The owner of Bedlam BBQ called for a towing and signed some kind of paperwork for them to tow our vehicles,” Fields said.
After contacting the tow company, the voters realized they had to shell out more than $200 to get their rides back.
Smith was left in shock at the charge and believes the restaurant owner should have given some grace because of the circumstances.
“I just wanted to vote. That’s all I wanted to do,” Smith said.
“If I would have known it was a problem, I never would have parked my car here.”
He’s also left questioning the price of the fee, which he felt was absurdly high.
“That’s not fair and I and I feel like I feel like the owner could have had some like, consideration,” he said.
The restaurant owner has yet to comment on the tows.
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
TOWING RULES
If your car was illegally towed, there are several steps you can take to get your money back.
First, gathering as many documents as possible that support your claim is crucial, including photos, police reports, receipts, and witness statements.
Take this information to the towing company and try to have a civil conversation about whether the tow was fair.
Sometimes, this can result in a fee being slashed considerably or waived entirely if an owner recognizes his operator was in the wrong.
Those who have no luck with the operator can notify their local Justice of the Peace or hire a lawyer for themselves.
The towing drama comes after another unlucky driver is out a massive $260 after their car was yanked while they rode the train to work.
Plus, a new November 12 law will see cars towed without notice.
