My car had a flat tire and couldn’t move but was still towed

RESIDENTS were left fuming after their cars were booted and towed from their homes - sometimes from their own driveways.

Ramundo Martinez was one of the homeowners who spoke out after he was hit with a tow fee and daily $25 fines.

A tiny home resident said they were hit with a daily fine for their vehicle (stock image)Credit: GettyRamundo Martinez said his car was towed (stock image)Credit: Getty

Martinez lived at the Shadow Ridge Estates Mobile Home Park in Kearns, Utah, just outside Salt Lake City.

He and other homeowners complained that no one enforced parking rules for years.

Then, all of a sudden, cars were being towed left and right for things like expired registration, wheels on the grass, and illegal street parking.

Martinez claimed that his family had three vehicles either towed or booted at the start of 2010, according to NBC affiliate KSL-TV.

READ MORE ON PARKING FEES

He said one of the tows came when his car had a flat tire, which left him unable to move the vehicle.

When he explained the situation to the driver, his vehicle was towed regardless.

Martinez said he couldn't afford to get his car back, which led to a $25 daily fee for each day it was impounded.

Residents admitted that signs were clearly posted at the mobile home park but they hadn't been enforced for nearly five years.

That changed when park management hired a tow company that began patrolling the grounds.

Other residents also complained about the supposedly quick shift from not receiving a fine to receiving multiple.

I owed the city $504k after trucks were towed over unpaid parking tickets - but I wasn't even responsible for the fines

One said at the time that they were hit with a $80 fee after their car was booted.

"[The citation] says it's for expired plates," they explained.

"It's supposed to be, but I bought it last night and I parked it over here.

"So it's a new car, it's not an old car." 

The manager of Shadow Ridge Estates at the time, John Mason, said the towing company was working within the park’s rules.

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

"It's just a matter of clarifying the objectives and the means to meeting those objectives," Mason said in 2010.

Norte Towing told KSL-TV that they followed the park’s rules but added they stopped their operations at the mobile home park.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Shadow Ridge Estates Mobile Home Park for comment.

SWITCHING LANES

Some drivers in a US city will soon face a major change to the way they pay to park, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.

Officials want to remove coin-based parking meters in Burlington, Vermont.

It is hoped this change will encourage people to download and use the Park Mobile app.

Local resident Karen Clark explained why she was upset with the change.

"I don’t like that idea at all," Clark said.

"I don’t like to have to use a card for everything. I much prefer to use cash if I possibly can."

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