Lehi, Utah – Police Chief Darren Paul and prosecuting attorney warned city officials of a trend in predatory towing.

“They will come through the area and tow for whatever violations they see,” Police Chief Darrin Paul said. “It ends up being a moneymaker for the towing company with no recourse for the people who have their cars towed.”

“There are tow companies that move into Lehi for business and contract with local homeowners’ associations. According to Paul, the steady growth in the city only guarantees predatory towing, or “at-will” towing, will get worse.”

“We’re trying to head it off before it becomes too big of a problem,” Paul said.

“We’ll make it so they can’t be in cahoots with an HOA because that is what is going on,” Paul said………..”We want to give some rights back to the homeowner.”

Repost from an article on the Daily Herald:  DH News

Author:  Cathy Allred

This tread is nationwide and affecting everyone.

Many of us have called a towing company to help us in our time of need.  Those guys, we appreciate.

It’s the unscrupulous, law breaking, tow truck operators, their boss, and association boards that contract them; we don’t endorse.

Here’s a confession from a property manager in Lewisville, TX.

#3 Nov 3, 2008

JKL  – “I am a Regional Manager with a large property management company…………   We recently went to permit parking at one of the communities I supervise and Pro Tow did not want to enforce what is sometimes called at will towing.  What this means is that the towing company would patrol the community and tow any cars with out parking permits. Pro Tow simply stated that they did not like to enforce this type of towing. I had to respect their decision. I dont like to have our towing companies enforce this type of towing as well. We just have so many parking issues at this community, we did not know what else to do in order to assure that the paying residents had a place to park. We ended up resolving this matter in another mannor.

Dont get me wrong, there are way to many shady towing companies. I have had problems with several towing companies over the years. …….”

Repost from Topix

Nothing destroys a good party faster than the towing of cars. Around 10:30 pm on Saturday, guests cars were hauled out, one at a time, from a homeowners association in Prince George’s County.  The party was not loud and the cars were not illegally parked.  No parking permit – $175/tow.

Residents in this association allege  – towing starts at 12 midnight.

Unfortunately, at will towing, begins at the tower’s discretion.  He can come anytime and make as many passes as he likes.  This kind of power has unlimited financial gain for the towing company – nothing but lost for the homeowners.

When Mrs. S. Jones and her husband moved in an association community in Prince George’s County, instead of receiving a welcome letter, both their cars were towed from their reserved parking spaces.   All this happened while they slept soundly in their new home.

They had no idea that parking by permit was the only way to avoid paying $350 for their towed vehicles.   They had no warning and no recourse.

Mrs. Jones and her husband were not the only ones towed that night from the same community.  I think tow drivers call this “burning a community.”

On another occasion earlier this year, Mr. Jones parked in his reserved spot.  After closing his car door, his parking permit fell to the floor.  Unbeknownst to him, he went on to enjoyed his evening.  Came out the next day only to find his property missing.

Living in an association community has been nothing but lessons learned for this family.   A visitor was towed for temporarily double parking in front their reserve parking spaces to assist a DISABLED visitor into their home.   In less than 7 minutes that visitor’s car was towed.

This kind of towing does not belong in a homeowners community.  It’s aggressive and illegal.

Mr. J. Alvarez, had a friend visit.  His friend bought along his elderly mother. While partially parked in Alvarez’s driveway, his friend walked his aging mother into the house.  In less than 5 minutes, the car was towed.  His friend’s mother’s purse and medication was inside.  Alvarez quickly drove them to the tow lot.  It was closed, but an attendant was on site.  They beg him to let them retrieve the medication and come back in the morning for the car.  The attendant was unsympathetic.  Alvarez’s friend, never visited again.