QuestionI was recently in Toledo, Ohio and went to a night club and parked my car in a lighted, vacant parking lot with other cars.There were not warning signs of being towed posted! An hour later outside security alerted us inside that cars were being towed. When I got outside the tow truck was picking up another car. He would not give anyone any phone number or location of where we could pick up our cars. He had no phone number or location information on his tow truck.Wasn't he legally supposed to give us information to retrieve our cars?
AnswerOhio is a state which has a hodgepodge of laws which really do not make a lot of sense most of the time.
Ohio PUC office regulates towing, but only if the tow company leaves the city limits of the town it is licensed in.
As to marking the tow truck, I believe (again Ohio is hard to find information for) that it should legally be marked, and that is due to Federal Regulations under U.S. Department of Transportation rules.
Giving notice or information, should be done, either by the truck identification or business cards and such.
And no signs in the lot tends to make me think that something here is shady or gray area in the legal department.
I sure wish I could help more, but there are a lot more issues here that can be factors.
Heck the truck might of been lettered and such, and I have seen some trucks which are black and have dark blue lettering so that it does not appear to have any names and such. Or the truck could of been brand new and not lettered and just out for the first time.
And some companies tend to run magnetic signs and they do fall off from time to time.
Here is some Ohio PUC info that might help you understand a little. I also have to say that Toledo might have some laws I can not find without digging deep into city regulations and such.
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/Puco/IndustryTopics/Topic.cfm?id=4520
and a sign law I have supposedly for Ohio
http://towsigns.com/states/oh.php
