Towing Issues: Car Illegally Towed, pinto wagon, tow truck driver

Question
I live in an apartment complex in Maryland. My car was recently towed out of the parking lot designated for residents. I have a valid resident parking sticker in my back window. When I asked the towing company why they towed my car they said that it was because my vehicle registration had expired. I was aware that the registration had expired which is why I had a current one sent to me unfortunately the sticker was lost in the mail. It is because the sticker was not there that they say they towed my car. I contend that my car was illegally towed because the towing company does not regulate vehicle registration, is that not the job of the police? Or does this vary from state to state?

Answer
Well, first of all  apartments have rules and regulations on parking requirements which the towing companies follow.

Now lets say your 2004 Porsche tags expired 3 days ago,  its likely to be overlooked for a few days, but say you also have a 1974 pinto wagon that looks like it died. That car attracts attention and would get towed.  

Now the towing company does not regulate vehicle registrations you are correct there. But if the apartment says any UNLICENSED VEHICLE (tag expired or no plates at all) gets towed, then they have to follow the rules they are contracted for ..

Its sometimes an aggressive tow truck driver who follows the rules to the letter, which creates problems and makes both the apartments and towing companies look bad.  That's where the bad press comes from. (side note, a lot of towing companies pay on commission , the more they tow the more the driver makes, and that tends to create the edge of the rules problems)


Unfortunately it sounds like that is what happened.  I do not know how expired the tag was, 2 minutes after it expired would be real nit picky, but 2 months  well that's different...   

Sorry but that's just what happens a lot in the business..