Overnight parking decision spawns $612 in tow fees
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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — Jeremy Cruse said his car was wrongfully towed Sept. 7. According to Cruse, after his tire blew out around midnight on Oak Street, he pulled into the parking lot of 700 Oak Street, a plaza that includes a Subway franchise.
He said he came back the next day with a spare tire, only to find the car missing. The cause? The manager of Subway had it towed.
"Subway said they hadn't had it towed," Cruse said. "Later on, we found out on paper that it was them, in fact. And we have the manager's name and everything."
The manager's name is listed on the report from the tow truck company. And, it seems the manager may have been too hasty in getting his truck towed. According to the Department of Motor Vehicle's policy on towing, every entrance to a private property is supposed to have a sign that says that unauthorized cars could get towed, along with the towing company's information. Problem: There is no sign to the back entrance of this lot, which is where Cruse came in that night.
On top of that, Eyewitness News did not see towing warnings displayed prominently in all areas of the plaza.
Multiple calls to the owner of that particular Subway were not returned. Cruse has paid $612 in tow truck fees, a price he said has wiped him clean, because he's on unemployment.
"It cost me pretty much every dime I had to get that car out," Cruse said.
That's another concern for Cruse, the cost of getting his car back. He said getting the money together for a bill like this takes time, and that it was tough to keep up with the daily fees.
"Talk about kicking somebody when they're down," Cruse said. "I've got a flat tire, and before I can get it repaired, it cost me an extra $600."
The tow truck company, Payless Towing, said it's fair business practice.
"We always look like the bad guys," a Payless Towing spokesperson said. "The fee is what it is because keeping up with our costs and insurance is expensive."
Another one of Cruse's concerns is that it costs around $75 after work hours just to confirm if your car is actually in the tow yard. Cruse said it's an outrageous fee, but Eyewitness News did call around to a few local tow truck companies and found that the charge is standard, since the work is being done after hours.
He said he came back the next day with a spare tire, only to find the car missing. The cause? The manager of Subway had it towed.
"Subway said they hadn't had it towed," Cruse said. "Later on, we found out on paper that it was them, in fact. And we have the manager's name and everything."
The manager's name is listed on the report from the tow truck company. And, it seems the manager may have been too hasty in getting his truck towed. According to the Department of Motor Vehicle's policy on towing, every entrance to a private property is supposed to have a sign that says that unauthorized cars could get towed, along with the towing company's information. Problem: There is no sign to the back entrance of this lot, which is where Cruse came in that night.
On top of that, Eyewitness News did not see towing warnings displayed prominently in all areas of the plaza.
Multiple calls to the owner of that particular Subway were not returned. Cruse has paid $612 in tow truck fees, a price he said has wiped him clean, because he's on unemployment.
"It cost me pretty much every dime I had to get that car out," Cruse said.
That's another concern for Cruse, the cost of getting his car back. He said getting the money together for a bill like this takes time, and that it was tough to keep up with the daily fees.
"Talk about kicking somebody when they're down," Cruse said. "I've got a flat tire, and before I can get it repaired, it cost me an extra $600."
The tow truck company, Payless Towing, said it's fair business practice.
"We always look like the bad guys," a Payless Towing spokesperson said. "The fee is what it is because keeping up with our costs and insurance is expensive."
Another one of Cruse's concerns is that it costs around $75 after work hours just to confirm if your car is actually in the tow yard. Cruse said it's an outrageous fee, but Eyewitness News did call around to a few local tow truck companies and found that the charge is standard, since the work is being done after hours.
Dont feel bad for him. If he could pass a drug test he would be able to get a job.. and if he didnt have to bail himself out of jail for felony spousal abuse the week before he might have more money to spend on a tire.. and further more if he would have been in bed at midnight like a normal person maybe it would have happened during the day when he could have gotten a new tire. Just sayin.Â
Wow way to go Subway!! First, you make crappy, calorie and fat loaded sandwiches...then you decide to rip someone off just because!!! Karma will pay you a visit for your needless and careless acts!
I say sue Subway,and as far as these towing companies,it nothing but legal robbery
I think Subway should reimburse him for the towing bill. The lot was not legally marked as it should have been so he rightfully thought his vehicle would be safe there until he returned the next day to fix the tire. The manager obviously knew he was in the wrong as he lied about having it towed. I will add that Subway to the list of places to avoid. I will not spend my hard earned money at a business that treats people like that.Â
In a bad economy, when you cannot get people to part with enough of their money voluntarily, you do it by force. Somehow this poor guy will probably get a break because of the bad PR here (I hope so anyway), most of us just take these kinds of beatings. $612. That's almost a months rent for some people. To tow a car and park it in some grimy lot for a few days? Yeah.