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Toledo Talk   (musing about Lake Erie West and beyond)
From blacjac687's workspace   

"CAN SOMEONE HELP ME??

I live at Willow-Brook estates, mobile home park on South Ave, They have a parking ordinance that says "any vehicle parked on the streets at 2400 will be towed" which we acknowledged when we moved in,
I am on SS but work part time, and am on call at 24/7 I'm needed and Friday night I had to work and I drove approx. 500 miles and got home at 0435 in the morning, at 0446 on sat morn, my vehicle was towed from in front of my home and no notice or attempt to tell me was given before it was taken,! It was taken to 701 West wood and on going there the sign says "CLOSED SAT AND SUNDAY"!! no phone number, or any way to retrieve my vehicle until Monday am!! "The only way I found out where it was is I called the local police dept !

And I'm told as of 0500 its OK to park on the street in front of your home( which I'm paying for and pay lot rent for!!) so in 14 minutes it would have been legal?? at 0500 ?

IT WAS ALL DONE BY "ABCO" AND THEY LEFT NO PHONE #'S WHERE THEY COULD BE CONTACTED"!!

But I was told by their answering service it will cost me $118.46 for each day its stored there When I went there in less than 12hours!

DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS KIND OF PROBLEM ?

By the way I parked on the street instead of my drive in case wife or daughter had to go to work or the doctors,!

created by blacjac687 on Apr 27, 2008 at 12:55:32 am
updated by blacjac687 on Apr 27, 2008 at 12:59:32 am     Comments: 15

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Comments ... #

The only help I can offer you is to give you abco's number, which is (419)536-6123.

I would also say that you are going to have to get used to questionable tows and high impound fees now that the city has figured out hot to make money off of it.

posted by mike2005 on Apr 27, 2008 at 04:05:09 am     #



The tow company has found a way to make money off of it. They troll looking for victims like you. I'd call the BBB if they attempt to charge you for weekend storage.

posted by swantucky on Apr 27, 2008 at 07:38:22 am     #



No, there isn't a whole lot you can do about the current situation. You got hosed.

Now in the future, it might be an idea to park illegally and sit in your car until the tow truck arrives, then drive off.

posted by madjack on Apr 27, 2008 at 10:43:53 am     #



Now this is where Carty's "they should move out by the airport" idea gets results!

posted by justareviewer on Apr 27, 2008 at 11:43:19 am     #



If Willow Brook Estates is private property then the City has no role in this. For ABCO to tow on private property they have to meet certain conditions. They have to have a contrqact with the property owner and the parking restrictions with the proper sinage must be plainly posted and meet the legal requirements. If those conditions are met then you will have to pay. My businesses have contracts with ABCO to tow vehicles.

If this tow was on public property and arranged by the City then I'm confused bacause I thought the City did their own towing.

posted by holland on Apr 27, 2008 at 12:26:37 pm     #



very sorry to hear that's horrible. To think you can get towed for parking in front of your own house :( especially with it only being 15min from the ok time. sigh will cross my fingers for you, hope it get's better.

posted by jshriver on Apr 27, 2008 at 05:34:51 pm     #



That's all Willowbrook. The owners are a bunch of rule Nazi's and it appears they got worse. When I lived there, they had rule that only guests could park in the street. Owners/Renters couldn't. One Morning, when I left, the maintenance crew was putting parking tickets on everyone's car. I think it was either a $15 or $25 dollar fine you had to pay within 30 days, or you where threaten with eviction.

posted by drunkenwildmage on Apr 27, 2008 at 07:26:02 pm     #



THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS " AND YR RIGHT "I GOT HOSED" AND WITHOUT EVEN A KISS"!!

I guess thats what I get for giving blood and helping others with "Emphysema"

posted by blacjac687 on Apr 28, 2008 at 08:53:20 am     #



Do you know when Willowbrook was developed into a mobile home park?

posted by ifXthenWhyNot on Apr 28, 2008 at 09:56:05 am     #



Contact the Better Business Bureau, the Local Chamber of Commerce as well as an attorney. Have your attorney call them for you (if possible) threatening legal action. While they may have had the right to tow based on the signage posted, the company has no right to charge you for daily storage on days that they clearly do not want to be open for business for you to get your car back. It stinks this happened to you and I'm sorry for that...but not everything in life comes without a fight! Anything worth having is worth working for also! Good luck to you, sir! - Derran Reebel

posted by derranreebel on Apr 28, 2008 at 02:13:08 pm     #



I agree with derranreebel. There's no reason to just give in to this kind of high-handed behavior without some kind of effort to recover the towing company's exorbitant, opportunistic charges.

posted by madjack on Apr 28, 2008 at 07:16:30 pm     #



Wait a minute here folks. I can't pass judgement on the merits of the parking regulations in Willowbrook Estates as I have no experience or understanding of management's rational. However, they can regulate parking because it is private property. ABCO or any other towing company can only tow on private property at the invitation of the property owner and if they also follow the City of Toledo's governing ordinances and regulations. It may be harsh and and it may be expensive to the violator, but it is legal when done properly. The problem started when the "parker" violated an aknowledged regulation. If the proper sinage was posted then the violator also knew what the penalties would be. The next time you're parking in a private commercial lot look around you for the parking signs. You'll see that the language is clear.

posted by holland on Apr 28, 2008 at 11:00:55 pm     #



IfXThenWhyNot

Late 80's - Early 90's. I moved in the park in '91 and they had trailers filled for 3/4 of the park. I believe our trailer was about where the snack stand used to be at when it was the Jesse James' Drive in.

posted by drunkenwildmage on Apr 28, 2008 at 11:04:09 pm     #



From Holland: ...but it is legal when done properly. The problem started when the "parker" violated an aknowledged regulation.

Just because it's legal does not mean that the enforcement is equitable or reasonable. This resident violated parking regulations by a few minutes, and in my mind should not have been towed. Towing his vehicle is unreasonable.

I'd think landlord tenant relations could be involved here to good effect.

posted by madjack on Apr 29, 2008 at 09:31:13 am     #



The real problem here is the blurring of the line between public and private.

posted by mike2005 on Apr 29, 2008 at 08:56:01 pm     #