‘They towed a bunch of cars in the middle of the night’ resident fumes after vehicles taken from outside homes

SEVERAL residents of a Missouri apartment building were woken up shocked one morning after their cars were allegedly towed without any warning. 

Renters living in the Marcato Apartments on 26th Street and Troost Avenue in Kansas City saw several cars towed, despite allegedly having all the necessary permits. 

Several Missouri residents allegedly had their cars towed one day despite having proper permits and sticketsCredit: FOX4
Resident Justice Stone accused the tow company of taking the cars 'in the middle of the night'Credit: FOX4

One resident, Kelly Jander, told local Fox affiliate WDAF that she initially wasn’t worried when she received a message that a tow truck from Downtown Towing and Recovery was visiting the property in early December 2021.

She claimed that the message requested all residents have their stickers visible on their cars. 

“I wasn’t worried,” she said. 

“I have lived here two years.” 

However, Jander’s vehicle was towed the same day, along with six others. 

Five of the vehicles towed reportedly belonged to people who lived in the apartment building – which had a partnership with Downtown Towing and Recovery at the time. 

Managers with Marcato Apartments reportedly told WDAF that the partnership was primarily to monitor for illegally parked cars around the building. 

After the unexpected tows, the apartment building said they terminated the partnership over a violation in their agreement. 

Managers claimed the tow company should have issued 24-hour tickets to the vehicles first if they had been parked illegally. 

Jander said she was informed she would need to fork over a “cash only” payment in order to get her car back from the tow company. 

My car was towed without warning during a birthday party - I had proof I was in the right, but cops could do nothing--

“Even though they knew I lived here, it didn’t matter. It was an inconvenience and if I didn’t know my rights, wouldn’t have argued on my own behalf. I knew that I didn’t have to pay by cash,” Jander said. 

Management with Marcato Apartments later told WDAF that the building was refunding the tenants who had been towed. 

Management with the apartment building did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun's request for comment.

Drivers at Marcato Apartments were not the only ones affected by sudden tows in the area. 

Justice Stone, a resident of Parkville Townhomes, told WDAF that “a bunch of cars” were towed from his apartment complex within the same week. 

“They just came and towed a bunch of cars in the middle of the night. Everybody woke up and there were a bunch of cars missing,” Stone claimed. 

“I talked to my apartment complex and it was like a miscommunication with them. This has never happened.”

Downtown Towing and Recovery declined to provide The U.S. Sun with a comment on the incident.

If you or someone you know believe that your car has been wrongfully towed, the Better Business Bureau has advised several steps to take. 

As rules may vary depending on the state, a spokesperson for the BBB told WDAF that individuals should first call the police via their non-emergency line and provide all relevant information. 

However, if a tow company refuses to hand over the vehicle, the BBB urges individuals to contact the Consumer Protection Division of their state Attorney General’s Office and file a report. 

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