Towing Issues: Can I get my things out of the car before its taken away?, storage fee, tow yard

Question
Hey there, I live in Toledo Ohio and I was parked on an appartment, private property. It was probly for more than an hour and I looked out the window to see my car up on the hook. I pleaded with him trying to get it back, offering to move it, blah blah blah. Anyways I asked if I could at least get a important bag out of the car while he took it down to the lot. He said that nothing in the car belonged to me and that I couldnt get a single thing because I didnt own it at that point. I got very angry at that point and just went over while it was hooked up and got my things out of the car because I wasnt sure whether to believe him or not, and I also didnt care. Was he bluffing or can I not even reach in and get a single thing? Also, we eventually agreed that if I paid cash, he would just drop the car and leave it there and not take it down to the lot. He charged me 112 Dollars. 12 for "Storage." Can he do that? I heard that if he doesnt leave the lot he can only charge me half of a towing charge. And Im certain I shouldnt have to pay a storage fee. All he did was lift the car, he didnt take it more than a few feet from the parking spot so he could hook the rest of it up. I do have a receipt. Do you think I could get some money back?

Answer
It does not sound right to me, and I really think that he was bluffing big time...

The vehicle still belongs to you even if it is on the tow truck, and most people I know do tend to leave personal property in vehicles including wallets and such... The idea of you not being able to get your property  while its still there is absurd..

Now as to the fees for "releasing the vehicle at the scene" that is basically a normal practice. Yes they do charge for that, but I would really be questioning that "storage" part of the bill as it has not left the original tow location in the first place, so the "storage fee" which applies at the tow yard is highly suspicious to me.

Something about this question does not sound right.


Now you do say that you have a receipt, that is good as it shows that you paid the bill, but I would be talking to the tow company owner about it. But of course some tow companies are one truck operations and that might of been the owner doing the tow...

Ohio  does have some laws regarding towing from private property, but its so confusing to understand as its a mix of state and City regulations which tend to overlap or contradict each other.

I know that a revamping of Ohio towing laws is underway and I am not sure the status of the proposed new laws...

You can check with the Ohio PUCO office in your area and they can inform you if any laws have been broken as they would have a much more up to date information list than I do... (I try to keep up on all the laws in the US, but its a huge under taking)


I hope this helps