|
If your car is towed away, how do you know where it has gone/is going, and that it hasn't just being stolen? Is there some national number I don't know about? They can't exactly leave a notice on the road!
|
|
Many years ago I got to where I'd left my car and it was gone. When I called the police to report it stolen, they said they'd got it. Could be different these days with privatisation, but I think even though the towing away might be done by a privateer, it has to be reported in the first place as an obstruction by a policeman or traffic warden.
|
|
Not if you parked it on private property.
|
|
Wouldn't it be clamped rather than towed away on private property? And if you'd (knowingly) parked on private property, I suppose the landowner would be one of the first people to talk to if it had gone missing...?
|
|
|
|
This is a lot worse than most people think.
I parked my car at a meter, in Bloom Street, Central Manchester.
I was 41 mins late (my fault, I know) and got back to no car.
A meter attendant nearby claimed to know nothing, but suggested that I walk across town to the Parking Shop.
I had to pay to recover the car as they had it.
They (Control Plus, a private co. working for Manchester Council)said they ticket after 5 mins late, clamp after 15 mins and tow after 30 mins.
How would anyone know this?
I went to Leeds County Court and summonsed them. The day before the Hearing a refund cheque came, with a letter saying that people from the area know Manchester is "A controlled zone" and admitting that they had no signs up to tell people from outside there. Sonded a bit lame, but I got my money back.
|
I must say, if I was late for a parking meter it would occur to me now that I might be ticketed, clamped or towed away. I think that's the idea of them - you pay for a certain length of time and if you exceed that then a "punishment" is levied.
|
|
They are happily, though quite anti-car, a little behind the times in Dundee, so forgive this uninformed question. Assuming a car is parked between others and immobilised, how do these parking heroes manage to tow away a car; and can one sue for damage caused?
|
You can do amazing things with a couple of trolley jacks?
DVD
|
|
|
They pick it up with a low-loader fitted with a crane. The crane has an H-frame with bandages or chains from each corner to fit under the tyres.
They then lift, swing, turn and dump the car on the back of a low-loader.
|
This happened to me last year in Cricklewood, London. I parked outside the B&B i was staying in on dodgy yellow lines that did not end with a =I sort of thing. Go in for a shower and come out to find it gone. I phone the poliec who give me the number for the Brent Pound. I went there and argued that the car should not have been towed away due to the incorrect lines. This they say was incorrect and they could have towed the car away legally. Annoyed I did research and after I paid to have it back I found out about the deminimis arguement. It states that only the miimum should be done to warn the illegally parked car that it is illegally parked ie a parking ticket or at most, a clamp. It should only be towed away if it is causing a considerable blockage.
I told Brent this in a letter and they eventually refunded my money.
|
>> This happened to me last year in Cricklewood London.I told Brent this in a letter and they eventually refunded my money.
Snipquote
Hi
i believe my car was towed away by brent from cricklewood tonight. Please tell me where did you do the research incase i need a back up on this that they were not supposed to tow it away. I do not understand why. Tax, insurance is all up to date. there were no any signs for towing and my car is gone. i have reported it just in case.
tnx
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 12/09/2009 at 16:15
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for the information! Clearly processes to be avoided; thank goodness for mail order and internet shopping, but it must be rough on shops, never mind those trying to get their work done.
|
|
|
|
|
And that is why I received a cheque from Manchester City Council.
I live in Leeds. West Yorkshire does not yet subscribe to decriminalised parking and it is currently enforced via wardens, police and central ticket office.
You don't get clamped or towed away from meters.
If I park in a towaway zone, I expect to be informed, via signs or a sentence on the back of the meter receipt.
Mcr Council agreed with that and refunded me.
|
|
|
|
|
