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Predatory practices
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I dropped my sister off at her mobile home in Colton on 1/26/2012, and parked sideways across her short driveway. On either side of her garage driveway are painted red curbs. I was not parked in the "red zone." I went into her house for about an hour, and when I went to leave my car was gone. She called Code 4 Towing first, and they said they had indeed towed my car. They said they took pictures and it was a "legal tow." When we arrived at Code 4 Towing, the picture was taken from the front of my car in the dark, however the front of the car was NOT parked in the red zone, and if that was the case, the back wouldn't have been either. The car across the street, however, was fully parked in a red curb area and it was not touched. It cost me $391.00 to get my car back. The receipt said it cost $197 for the tow, $55 for special equipment, $97 for after hours, and $45 for storage (my car was in their lot an hour tops!). This is just totally unethical behavior.
I checked on the DMV code Section 22658 and it says: "The tow truck operator removing the vehicle, if the operator knows or is able to ascertain from the property owner, person in lawful possession of the property, or the registration records of the Dept of Motor vehicles the name and address of the registered and legal owner of the fact of removal, the grounds for the removal, and indicate the place to which the vehicle has been removed." None of that took place!
The front door to my sister's house was open with just a screen door. The tow truck driver could have easily walked the few feet and knocked on the door to ask or let us know. Judd MacIlvain, the Troubleshooter Scam alert journalist, said that "You must also be on the lookout for what I call the Midnight Hookers." These are tow trucks that will illegally hook-up your vehicle off parking lots and tow it to their storage lot. To do this legally they must have the property owner or the owner's representative sign the tow slip at the time the vehicle is towed. . ."
So this company, Code 4 Towing, is operating with illegal practices.
This company doesn't even deserve 1 star . . . they should be forced out of business for scamming people!
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