'It was a state emergency,' driver fumes over $3,000 bill for towing car

A FUMING shopper has reduced her $3,000 towing bill to $800 after a mass weather emergency stranded her car at the Aventura Mall parking lot.

She says she had to haggle with the company before settling on a lower price.

A fuming driver was charged $3,000 by a towing companyCredit: GettyHer vehicle was towed during Florida's recent devastating floodingCredit: GettyTwo people have died in the flooding which has hit southern Florida this weekCredit: Getty

The flooding took place during Florida's recent devastating flooding which has left two people dead.

Florida governor and former Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in response.

Graciafe Cardenas received a nearly $3,000 bill to tow the car — broken down into three separate chargers for a hook-recovery-tow, an administrative fee, and mileage.

Aventura Mall is known as the third-largest mall in the United States by total square feet of retail space and the largest mall in Florida.

It features many staple retailers like Macy's, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's, in addition to a 24-screen AMC Theatre.

Cardenas' silver Hyundai was left parked outside the mall due to the rising flood waters in South Florida.

“I tried to back up and make a U-turn but it was stuck,” she told WPLG.

“Everything started going up and up and up. I was like I have to get out of the car.”

A full day later, she tried to get her car towed away and got slammed with a hefty bill.

“It’s kind of surprising how they were charging this price,” she said. “It’s insane you know after the state was in an emergency.”

But after negotiating with the towing company, she got her bill significantly reduced.

Cardenas warned other drivers of the suspected price-gouging.

“We’re not dumb, we’re not stupid,” she said.

Dozens of cars were stalled across South Florida due to the heavy rain on Wednesday.

Many blocked busy streets and intersections, causing traffic jams, and safety issues.

"10 minute drive turned into 3 hours but lord am I thankful that my car made it & that we are safe," tweeted one social media user outside Aventura Mall.

Some drivers were left with no choice but to abandon their vehicles overnight as the heavy rains left nearly a foot of water in the area.

"Can you say CHA-CHING at the Aventura Mall tonight? Customers advised NOT TO LEAVE for 5 more hours til the flooding subsides," one social media user tweeted.

Aventura police announced on X that every intersection from 179th Street to 213th St was experiencing heavy flooding.

Authorities warned the public that the following intersections would be closed due to flooding: 34th Ave and 207 St, 29th Ave and 191 St, 30th Ave and 199 St, and 30th Ave and 203 St.

Aventura Mall's parking lot housed numerous unattended and damaged vehicles after the flooding.

Over 100 vehicles remain stranded in its parking lot following the severe flooding that swamped the region, reports WSVN.

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