QuestionI was towed, and I left not even an hour later to redeem my vehicle from the towing company. They charged me not only the towing fee (200$), a storage fee (65$), and a gate fee (95$). My question is, are these fees legal, as within an hour, i doubt that they should be able to charge me a fee for storing the car, when they haven't had ample time to store said vehicle. Also, what, oh what, is a gate fee. Seriously. WHAT is a gate fee. UGHHH. psh.
Thanks for your time.
AnswerSorry to say I am not an expert at cars being towed away. My specialty is towing traiers with vehicles!
I suggest you contact some of the legal experts on this site, that would be the best way to deal with it.
From what I know though, towing companies are a real rip-off, expecially in the bigger metro areas. Of the fees you mention, the "gate" fee is the one that seems really tacked on. I would not put it past someone working the office to tack on whatever they think they could get away with at the time, especially if they see cash.
You could fight it in small claims court without an attorney, but I don't see that it is worth it. A letter from an attorney might get something back, but probably would cost more than you could get back.
I think you need to contact the city, and find out what is expected. Also, if you parked on private property, usually they post a sign spelling out what it will cost to cover their behinds. See if the area you parked in has such a sign. If it was public (city/county) property, call that agency and see what they say.
Don
