Towing Issues: Legal Handicapped vehicle towed from altered handicapped zone, city of auburn washington, handicapped placard

Question
This took place in the City of Auburn, Washington State.  We parked in the parking lot of our daughter's apartment complex at night.  We thought we were parking in a handicapped space because there were three in a row.  The one we parked in had been altered from being a handicapped space with a sign on a post and a painted handicapped logo to a private space.  The sign had been removed but the pole remained and the logo painted on the pavement had been clumsily overpainted and was worn so as to look like a current handicap space.  It was night and the area was poorly lit.  The handicapped parking spaces adjacent to the one we used had two building maintenance vehicles parked in them, so we chose the only open one of the three spaces that we thought were handicapped.  The building maintenance people did not tell us or warn us that the space we chose had been converted to a private space.  When we were ready to leave, we went back to the space to find our car (with prominently displayed handicapped placard)had been towed and the legal resident of the space was parked there.  The remaining two handicapped spaces directly adjacent to the space we parked in were now unoccupied.  Needless to say, the hassle and expense of that night stuck in our craw and we went to dispute it in court in the city of Kent, so sure were we that the building had "entrapped" us into thinking this space was a handicapped one.  The judge disagreed with us and sided with the property owners saying that they could do what they wanted as to altering the spaces and towing us away. So not only did we receive no recompense for the tow and ticket, we were forced to pay court fees as well.  What do you think of this situation?

Answer
Well, this sounds like it is one of those attempts at changing the spaces which kind of leaves the "idea" it is still there... Yes painting over the markings works a bit, but just like painting the original handicapped spaces, it wears due to weather and even vehicles driving on the paint...

As to the maintenance vehicles parking in the other spaces, that just sounds like plain abuse, but that is not the issue which I am sure the judge said also...

I am not sure that the "building or the property manager" tried to entrap you, but it sounds like they  are kind of on the edge of the law here...

As to the ruling by the judge, well I know you had to pay the court costs also, and if you really feel bad about it, there is always an appeals court issue, but it will cost even more.

Not sure what else to say about this.