Towing Issues: Was my car Illegally impounded?, license plate tags, fire lanes

Question
I left my car at my cousins apartment complex located in Everett, WA ; I parked in his paid parking stall. He let the management know it was my car, they said it was fine. I parked "backed in" to the stall. I parked and left with my Aunt to leave for a 10 day vacation. I did not see or talk to my cousin the morning I parked my car. When I got back from vacation my car had been towed for "backed in parking" No signs are posted anywhere on the property or near the parking stalls. The Apartment night security left 3 notices on the car but I was out of town still on vacation. My cousin checked his lease and it states no back in parking, he did not tell me this. So as a guest with no signs posted on the property was my car impounded illegally? Do I have a case? I would like to request the hearing.

Answer
Sorry you got towed, but most every apartment and condo complex will have provisions in the leases forbidding back in parking. Now I have heard many reasons for it, and some make sense and some are just crazy..

But best understandable reason I have heard is that in the dark if the vehicle is backed in, it overhangs the walkways.  Now if you have a trailer hitch which sticks out then people might hit it while walking and get injured.  I can understand that one...

And I have heard that it also does not allow security to check license plate tags and permits which are in rear windows...

About the warnings, yes you would not see them if you were gone, but your cousin should have seen them. Not sure that he could have moved it if you did not leave the keys.

Now as to signs, I have to defend the place if they had "any signs" posted at all. The law requires them to be posted and a lot of places follow the law, but how much information do you want to have posted on the signs...

Guest, or tenant parking is generally covered. No parking in fire lanes is covered also..

But about expired tags, backed in parking, no commercially marked vehicles, no vehicles over 3/4 ton in size, no motor homes, no disabled vehicles, are just some of the reasons vehicles are towed from apartment parking lots. Can you imagine how big the signs would be to list all the above conditions...

Yes you can contest the tow and have a hearing. You will have to have plenty of evidence to prove that you were wronged, and I hate to say it the lease clause will hurt you big time. Even if you do not live there, your cousin should have warned you.