Towed from private lot but no signage
 

Not sure if this belongs here or not but here it goes...

I got towed from a private lot (friends apartment) this weekend because I didn't register my car. There was no signage from what I could see saying that I needed to register and my friend, who was back from out of town, had no idea the building implemented this new rule. And of course none of her family members were home to let either of us know.

Anyhow, I was wondering if I have any grounds to get my money back the fact there as no signage indicating I needed to register my car. TIA.

What grounds?

Were you the registered resident of the apartment? No.

:gtfo:

:fuckthatshit:

Can I get someone who CAN read and is NOT 15 years old to give me an EDUCATED reply please?

can't hurt to ask the people who own the apartments or w/e you call em. ask your buddy who you can contact

Was the space you parked in marked for visitors? If it wasn't you probably parked in someone elses private space. You don't have a right to park on private property any more than I have a right to park in your driveway and claim ignorance because you didn't put a sign up saying I can't park there.

How do you "register" a car at an apartment building? Is there a security guard/desk?

My dad got towed from our own apartment because he parked in a visitor's without displaying the visitor's pass. This was while there was a family emergency so he wasn't in his right mind; I talked to the towing company and the guy cut the fees by a bit, but we did still have to pay.

I'm also a bit skeptical as to whether or not there actually were no signs, or if you just missed them because you didn't think there'd be any in the first place.

IMO, you're out of luck. Especially if you've already retrieved your car. You can speak to the building manager to put up more signs but I think it's just going to be one of those "expensive lessons learned (that you shouldn't have had to learn in the first place)".

My 2 cents.

"Car towed at owner's expense".

I always wanted to know if you could claim this meant the property owner's expense, not the car owner. Give it a try and let us know, will you? :p


If the spots aren't marked "reserved" or numbered and there are no signs, then I'd be pushing for theft charges against the towing company.

And that would go nowhere. The owners or managers of private property are well within their rights to call a tow truck to remove a vehicle that is parked on their property that doesn't belong there. There is no theft involved.

Generally, when the tow happens, the cost falls on the vehicle owner, though sometimes the person calling for the tow may be charged a fee (if no alternative agreement is set up between the property owners and the tow company).

Thanks for the input guys.

I've parked there numerous times in the past with no problems. The lot itself is designated as a "visitors lot" (versus the tenants lot which is on the other side of the building) with neither lot numbers or reserved signs.

I'll check again for the signage and talk w/ the building manager.

Well the to company isn't exactly borrowing it with permission from the vehicle owner, and they're charging a ransom to release it. It's legalized theft.

I'll keep that in mind the next time I find a purse with cash in it. :fullofwin:

If it's a visitors lot and the resident can verify you were in fact parked there to visit, then you need to make sure you get your towing and other fees reimbursed.

^Nobody is denying that he was visiting the resident's house, the point is he didn't follow the steps necessary to stop him from being towed. It's not theft, and your little analogy with the purse is downright idiotic. I'm not sure where you get this sense of entitlement from (not the OP, the resident troll above me).

To the OP, do talk to the building manager, but if the building manager is like 98% of the other managers they'll tell you to scram lol. Good luck though.

I believe that the towing bylaws require signs to be posted warning parkers of the lot's rules and provide the name and phone number of the tow company, so make sure that such a sign is easily visible.

We use to have "visitors" always parking in visitors spots in our old condo. They would park there 5-7 times a week for weeks t a time. Eventually these "visitors" we're towed since they where obviously more than just "visitors"

Talk to the property management and ask what the strata bylaws are since every strata have different rules.

Some cities have towing bylaws that require signage. Here is Richmond's for example:

City of Richmond BC - Private Parking Lot Towing Permit Process

If there is no bylaw requiring signage, then I think you are out of luck. It's up to the residents to know the rules on parking and follow them. Unfortunately your friend didn't know the rules, but that likely isn't going to be a good enough excuse.

Are you sure the towing bylaws apply to private property? Strata has their own rules that they can enforce, and I believe that it is up to the resident to read the strata policy when they move into the building. With that said, chances are there probably are warning signs.

just because you weren't caught before/no one called you in, doesn't mean you weren't breaking any strata laws. The property / parking stalls belong to the strata.

The other thing is that visitors' lots are meant for high turnover, not overnight parking. If you are taking a space in the lot for longer than a few hours, you are definitely abusing the system.

Really? My building has no problem with overnight parking.

Just because your building doesn't have a problem with it, doesn't mean it isn't meant for high turn over. Maybe the fact that your building hasn't had issues with people abusing it, is the reason your building "doesn't have a problem with it"

So then it's up to each building to clearly post time limits.

You live in Victoria, where I presume you can still park on the streets in many areas for free. If you live in DT Vancouver, where overnight parking can be $35, a condo isn't just going to open up their visitor parking to unregistered guests.

not to mention, parking spots are tens of thousands of dollars extra to purchase on top of your unit..

this.

at my grandfathers building i have to go to the strata office and write down my make model and plate # plus the unit i am visiting and the resident's name.

there is a clipboard on the wall in the hallway so that the office doesn't have to be open to fill it out.

this is in coal harbour btw