Towing Issues: My Apt Complex towing my vehicle, apartment complexes, tow company

Question
I had my car parked in my designated car port at my apartment complex for about a month.  The car is registered to myself, and had current tags on it.  The inside of the car had been stripped (no back seat, most of the dash pulled off, the side door panels removed) but the car did run and was tagged.  I went out of town for business and while I was gone, for 4 days, my apt manager had my car towed.  The reason being was that the car looked like it was abandoned and that they couldn't have cars looking like that parked here.  They did not know the car ran.  They claimed they tried to contact me (no messages) and did put a 4 day tow notice on it.  There was no notice mailed to me, or put on my door, or no messages from them.  When I noticed the car wasn't parked there and was gone, I went to the mgmt and asked if they had towed it by chance.  I believe legally there was no reason to tow my car.  The towing place wants $50/day, $190 for the tow!  This car was listed as my vehicle on my 1st lease.  Then I renewed my lease and they wrote up a new lease.  They probably should still have the first lease on file.  Is this a legal towing?

Answer
Well it does sound to me as if the vehicle fits the "abandoned vehicle" description.  It's not a complete vehicle in as it does not have all the "INSIDE PARTS" and you said that it had been sitting for about a month...

Now apartment complexes do as a rule have provisions in the leases on vehicle conditions and such. I am not sure exactly how it is worded as each lease is different.

Now as to notices and such, they really are not required to post or give you any notices per say, as it is spelled out in the lease.
But most places do have courtesy notices and such. Those are generally placed on the vehicle in the form of a "sticky note" or a letter. And they can blow off, get taken off by other people or it was towed and removed by the tow company. Can not really say what happened there.

As to if this is a legal tow, well it would depend on the State you are in, as to what laws are possibly broken or followed. There is no ONE LAW for every state. And there really is no federal law which covers this kind of issue. Add in the fact that some Cities have additional laws regarding towing vehicles from private property, well it gets complicated.
And you did not mention the City or State so I can not point you to "specific laws" which might apply.

But to answer the question of "is this legal towing" I would have to say it sounds legal to me.


Sorry but I know that is not what you wanted to hear.