A FUMING driver claims he was unfairly fined hundreds of dollars for a parking violation.
The driver received a nearly $500 bill for leaving his car unattended on city streets for two days.
Ryan Douma, a Michigan resident, and his wife went on vacation to New Jersey last summer and returned to find their car missing.
The couple had borrowed a friend’s Honda Accord for the summer and parked it on the kerb in Ann Arbour, about 45 miles west of Detroit, before travelling to Jersey.
“We park in the street all the time,” Douma told MLive.com, Michigan’s local news source.
While the couple was away, a neighbour contacted the city and had the Honda towed.
Not only was the car towed, but Douma was also charged over $400 for the parking violation.
The driver also received a $30 county fee and a $50 city parking ticket.
“I was livid,” he said.
“I think it’s a big money grab.”
According to MLive.com, any vehicle parked on a neighbourhood street for 48 hours can be considered abandoned by community standards officers.
The primary responsibilities of community standards officers are to investigate complaints and enforce parking regulations throughout the city.
Douma was surprised to see a $418 towing and impound invoice for parking on the street kerb for more than 48 hours.
Cars can be towed and impounded for a variety of reasons.
Vehicles parked illegally or considered abandoned are the most likely to receive violations.
Chani Dixon, Community Standards Supervisor, denied the “cash grab” allegation, stating that administering tickets is simply part of her job.
“I don’t think it’s a money-maker,” she told MLive.
What to do if your car is towed
Retrieving a towed vehicle, whether done correctly or incorrectly, can be difficult.
If your vehicle is towed for parking in a “No Parking” zone or for another legitimate reason, you can take a few steps 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.
“We’re complaint-driven, and therefore, if a complaint comes in, we do have to go to that location and assess the situation,” the employee said.
Douma claims that the 48-hour rule does not give Ann Arbour residents who street park enough time to move their vehicles, particularly those who do not use their cars on a daily basis.
He also claims that low-income individuals cannot afford to pay such high fees for an honest mistake.
City officials said they understand why residents are upset, but they can’t change the law.
After a car has been tagged for removal, drivers have a 24-hour grace period before towing it.
The US Sun has contacted Community Standards Supervisor Chani Dixon for comment.
