Towing Issues: Removing car cover to look for no tag, apartment manager, tow trucks

Question
I live in an apartment complex and they allow tow trucks to remove cars for missing tags etc... my car did not have a tag, but i got permission from the manager to keep it there until sold as long as i had a cover over the car. i put one on and 1 week later, it was towed. they said they did not request it and the company said they did it because of no tag. was it illegal for them to look under the cover and check for a missing tag and than tow it without notice?? I live in orlando, fl. thanks

Answer
Well,  I have to say that anytime a towing company is given access to a lot and a set of rules or instructions there are problems that will happen.

Some companies get very agressive and some are way laid back in their approaches to the guidelines.  Also under a patrol type agreement ( sounds like what they have) some drivers tend to tow the very borderline jobs.  When someone is on commission as lots of drivers are then you are faced with someone looking for a paycheck instead of collecting the hourly rate of pay.

As to looking under the cover, I do not think that it would be illegal as its easy to do or they can say that the wind did move it or some kids were playing with it ..  Now if they had opened a garage door to look for vehicles with no tags  I would think that would be illegal.

I do not know it you had the apartment manager contact the towing company and see if they will give it back or release it for a discounted fee. It does sound like a bit of miscommunication there.

But the tow company did do what they were asked to do which is remove vehicles without tags.  Got to be realistic about that part.


Hope that helps a bit, I wish I could say more.