My car was towed five hours after I got a flat tire & I was charged $1,100

A DRIVER complained after his vehicle was snatched from outside his home a few hours after getting a flat tire.

Marlowe Wallace, a driver in Florida, said he was unable to fix the car himself. A towing company asked for $1,100 to retrieve the vehicle.

A driver complained after his car was towed for a flat tireCredit: 7 News MiamiHe said a towing company grabbed his Dodge hours after the flatCredit: 7 News Miami

Wallace was driving his car home from work when the front passenger-side tire ran flat, according to Miami-based Fox affiliate WSVN.

"[I] barely made it home on the flat tire," Wallace told the station in March.

The driver, who has cerebral palsy, was unable to put a spare tire on the Dodge Avenger sedan.

Wallace said his diagnosis makes it "too difficult for me to to lift" heavy objects.

The driver went to sleep before calling AAA to help fix the tire.

He called the car maintenance company at 6:55 am, five hours after returning home from work.

However, when he went down the stairs at his apartment building, the vehicle was gone.

Wallace called his apartment management company and the towing company. He was told he would have to pay $190 to grab the car.

Eventually, the car incurred more fees from the tow company's lot. Wallace's bill ballooned to $1,100.

His neighbors were angered by the fees.

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"I want to do what's right," Wallace's neighbor, Thalia Armbrister, told the station.

"I'm standing up with him because it's only right."

However, the apartment company and the towing company quickly resolved the issue.

"We were unaware that it was his car and followed the standard procedure outlined in the lease agreement," the apartment complex wrote to the station.

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

Wallace's car was brought back to the apartment parking lot after the news station told management about the story.

The apartment complex also changed its towing contract to another company.

"We all was surprised to see it back," Wallace told the station.

"You always come through for people."

The driver also said he was not charged the $1,100 upon his car's return.

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