I was enjoying my Sunday(9.02.07) night at Rain nightclub, when I got a phone call that my car had been towed. I thought to myself, what reason did they have to tow my car? I've had my car towed before, every time it had been Dominion Towing, so I knew I was dealing with certified assholes. When I finally got home I saw a piece of my Cadillac's bumper sitting in the street, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. My car was just purchased a week ago(08.27.07) today, Monday(09.03.07). I had the decal to park in my neighborhood, and the registration with tags were all up to date. When I called Dominion Towing, they tried to hustle $150 out of me less than an hour after towing my car, I know it's a Cadillac, but I'm not made of money! They towed my car with no reason, damaged it, and left me at home with no transportation. What now? Can I sue? What kind of attorney will take on a case like this? I'm more than pissed, so I'd really appreciate any help. Thanks.

Maybe next time you will learn not to go to Rain anymore. It sucks. Tow truck companies go there to scam suckers like you.

Hahahaha, my friend owns Rain, so maybe my experiences are a little bit better than yours. My car got towed from my neighborhood and not in fairfax city, where i would have no choice but to pay them.

He said, she said case, unless the parking decal is glued to the car.

Call 7 on your Side. 703-236-9778

Yea my decal is basically glued, its on the inside of my car, and I know they can't break into a cadillac. even my insurance company, geico, said the damage was covered, but when i called dominion towing to try to get their insurance info they turned very sketchy. i know if i can find a lawyer, the case would be so easy to win a caveman could do it.

You think Dominion is hiring? What a great job that must be to get paid to drive around tow cars for no reason, fuck them up and then collect the owners cash! I think I'll apply!

EoM

Too late now but you should have called the police to at least take a look at the remaining parts of your car. Yes it is a civil matter so maybe they wont come out but doesnt hurt to try.
Second take lots of pictures and if you brought the car locally maybe they have a picture of the car before the bumper was ripped off.

When you go to pick up the car take a witness with you and a camera. Get a good witness with character not some hot head that will get mouthy. They will probably only let you on the lot to get the car and forbid any pictures so dont make a scene. Just pull the car off their lot and take the pictures near there.
Most important dont get into a beef with the tow company, I have never met one yet that doesnt carry a gun somewhere, it is a dangerous business.

If the amount of damage is low enough you can take the case to Fairfax for small claims. check the website and see the limits. You do not need a lawyer to do that.

Check this out:

Dominion Towing Inc., Northern Virginia’s premier provider of parking control services is offering to bring our expertise and knowledge to you and your property. Our unique business strategy allows us to provide your property with the best towing services available.

We are pleased to say that our main objective is to provide the “highest quality parking management possible”. Dominion Towing works exclusively with property management to achieve or maintain the proper parking control.

Our goal of retaining the best customer service/management personnel, as well as professional dispatchers and call takers combined with our highly skilled drivers has proven to be a true success.

Our storage facilities are open 24 hours a day, well lit, centrally located and accept VISA and MasterCard as well as cash.

Our dedicated staff is working around the clock to meet your needs in a timely, professional and damage-free manner.


HA HA HA HA HA!

I am surprised they take credit cards. Someone could pay with the card, get their car back then dispute the charge.

At least Dominion towing has a mission statement. Tom Cruise better watch out, here comes another mission impossible.

They schemed it well, if this had happened tonight then I could call the courts and have the matter solved, but they did it on labor day. their mission statement should be 'we hire the best car thieves around, and they get the job done.'

Tow truck companies are evil. They did the same thing to a friend's car once, ripped the bumper right off. When he confronted them, they said "your buddy came in here and said you did it." Just completely told him to fuck off and give them money if he wanted his car back.

And why the fuck do you go to Rain? Every person I know that's been there said it's the most god-awful place around here.

Working for a towing company has to be more stressful than the post office, I told Dominion Towing that I needed some info for my lawyer and insurance company, and this guy on the phone sounded like he was about to jump off the roof with his neck in a noose.

No matter what I say, people are gonna continue to hate on Rain. My high school buddy is the owner, that's why I was at Rain, you'd be there too if you get in free and drink for free.

It's still not too late to call the police, although it would hurt your credibility for waiting unless you had a good excuse for doing so. Even if they don't do anything, at least get it documented in case you decide to take the matter to court. -§

Oh, and one more important thing....

You have to prove that the delay in getting your decal was the HOA / Landlord's fault and you made all reasonable attempts to obtain a temporary pass. If not, then all you can do is go for damages on the bumper. -§

No, I did call fairfax, but they said it was a civil matter for the courts, cops can't and won't do anything. And my car had the decal on it, I'm under the impression that it was towed for NO REASON.

Today is day 2, and they won't give me their insurance info, or give me my car back, they claim that the damage was caused previous to my car getting towed. That's why I don't want to get it out, I know that's going to be their defense in court, but it won't work when I have part of the bumper with me.

Get your care cause they will sell it if you don't thats how they make the big bucks.

EoM

dont get in the pool if you cant swim.

If your information is correct and you have been swindled, you should file a complaint with the Fairfax consumer department--believe it's one of the links above. If there is absolutely no doubt and you can provide good evidence, take the matter to small claims court. If I were wronged as you appear to have been, I would hire also a lawyer on a contingency basis and sue the evil doer. Good luck!

TMinc3000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No matter what I say, people are gonna continue to
> hate on Rain. My high school buddy is the owner,
> that's why I was at Rain, you'd be there too if
> you get in free and drink for free.

Every person I've ever seen walking out is either engaging in a fight, or telling me "don't go in there, it's fucking awful". That, and everyone I know that's been in there has nothing nice to say about it. Just a magnet for the local trash and wannabe thugs.

well... if they seriously didnt have reason to tow the car, isnt that grand theft auto? you could call in the car stolen. :P


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

The towing company reports an impound or repo to the local PD so if you do try to call it in stolen then they say no way.

EoM

That was always an issue. For the longest time tow companies in the area only took cash for the dispute reason. Now most, if not all take credit cards. I would not be surprised to learn it is required by the county.

In Fairfax County, the police must be notified within 1/2 hour of the tow. They must be given the vehicle make/model, plates, reason for tow and some other information. Tow companies routinely do this by fax. I would ask the police and or the tow company for proof that they did this.

As far as them not giving you insurance information, they are calling your bluff - whether it is a bluff or not. Think of it as someone calling you up and saying "I fell down on your property, I need your homeowner insurance information". You are well within your legal rights to say "pound sand!" and hang up the phone. What you are doing asking for the info is adversarial, and they are in no way required to be cordial. So someone doesn't criticize my analogy, if someone asks for your insurance info, first tell them to pound sand, THEN call your insurance provider and get their take on the matter. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO AUTO INSURANCE!

G-Man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The towing company reports an impound or repo to
> the local PD so if you do try to call it in stolen
> then they say no way.


No they don't. They like to evade paying taxes, which is why they'll tell you they only take cash (which if you don't have, they'll accept credit card).

stinkypoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> G-Man Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The towing company reports an impound or repo
> to
> > the local PD so if you do try to call it in
> stolen
> > then they say no way.
>
>
> No they don't. They like to evade paying taxes,
> which is why they'll tell you they only take cash
> (which if you don't have, they'll accept credit
> card).

Wrong, they are required to contact PD when they tow for impound. See Radiophiles post above as well.

EoM

The biggest dirtbag towing company in the metro DC area is Henry's. Dominion is minor league compared to Henry's. Even the State Police advise the poor bastards being towed to get their car away from them as soon as possible.

Henry's got booted out of Arlington cause the fuzz caught them stealing stuff out of peoples cars. They had to close down their lot in the county and lost there county contract as well. They are losers.

EoM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2007 11:19AM by G-Man.

Is your decal still in the window? Is (or was) it in plain sight and not obstructed?

If so, call the police and have them meet you at the impound lot claiming grand theft. What did the towing company say was the reason they towed? I couldn't find that anywhere in your post above.

Did your apartment complex / landlord / HOA call them or do they have the authority to tow without being prompted. They need a bonafide reason, if not, it's theft and therefore a criminal AND civil matter. -§

G-Man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Wrong, they are required to contact PD when they
> tow for impound. See Radiophiles post above as
> well.

True story: had my car towed from behind Clarendon Grille about five years ago. I called the tow company, they said they had my car, so I get a ride down to the tow yard. I show up and the guy says "yeah it'll be here in a little while." WTF? It was towed over an hour ago, so where's it at? A hostile STFU from the guy working there, and I called arlington police. They had no report of it being towed. They called the tow company and the guy said "Yeah it's on its way, we forgot to report it." The officer called me back and explained they don't often don't report it since they like to cheat their taxes and want as few paper trails as possible when making a buck.

Oh, and why did it take so long for it to show up (which was about 45 minutes after I got there)? My theory: they wait until enough cars are in the parking lot, and do a bulk GTA. Since their lot is a few miles from the site, they quickly move them down the street to a discreet location before everyone is wise to the fact they're towing. They can get several out at once, then go through the process of unloading them at their lot. They're cocksuckers to the extreme.

Step one: Steal cars
Step two: Cheat the govt out of tax revenue
Step three: profit!

I hope they burn.

G-Man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Henry's got booted out of Arlington cause the fuzz
> caught them stealing stuff out of peoples cars.
> They had to close down their lot in the county and
> lost there county contract as well. They are
> losers.


I think that was the one I just talked about. I have a fiery hatred for Henry.

i just babbled about tow truck drivers the other day.

http://vaburbia.com/?p=79

i'm never happy to see one.

Sometimes if they think the owners aren't showing up anytime soon they take the cars to a satellite lot. By county code they are supposed to call the cops as soon as they start to pull the car away not later on when they finish. That way the cops don't waste their time writing a stolen car report.
But then again what they are supposed to do and what gets done usually never happens.

As far as taking legal action against the tow company you can get most of their information from the state corporation commission online. Don't stand around and trade insults with the guys, they have heard it all before. It is a mean business. FYI when doing a late night in Arlington esp Crystal City try to find the underground public parking. It is free later at night and all through the weekend. When I park there is it usually only a few cars in the underground. I am not sure but I think Clarendon is the same way.

I feel your pain. About 5 years ago my car was towed from a neighborhood in Centreville (i also had a decal) for no reason. When I went to pick up my car, they had broken a window and stolen everything out of the car. I even had some of their employees on camera at exxon using my credit card. The police investigated it for awhile but never ended up turning up any hard evidence and of course Battlefield claims that my car was broken into before they came to tow it. Yeah Right. My insurance company did end up paying for it but I was seriously mad. Incidently, my husband owns an auto repair shop and should be able to help you out with a new bumper. Hometown Auto Care in Chantilly. www.hometownautocare.com.

Could it be that your cheap self thought it was below you to spend the 15 bucks to get a VA inspection sticker? If we have to... so do you. *tsk tsk*

allivant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i just babbled about tow truck drivers the other
> day.
>
> http://vaburbia.com/?p=79
>
> i'm never happy to see one.


I've always been happy to see tow truck drivers.....because I called them for help.

Try parking legally...even if (gasp) you have to walk a little ways...it's good for you!

Fairfax county limits the amount a tow operator can charge. Towing services rely on your ignorance of the law to overcharge. They're lucky they don't get hit with extortion or racketeering charges.

Fairfax County Ordnance §82-5-32(g)
(1) The maximum fees allowed to be charged are:
(A) Initial hookup and tow fee not to exceed $50.00.
(B) Vehicle storage at a rate not to exceed $25.00 for up to the first 24-hour period and shall not exceed $25.00 for each subsequent 24-hour period or any portion thereof for the safekeeping of vehicles or trailers.
(C) Release fees may be charged for vehicles claimed by the owner after normal business hours. No release fee may be more than $15.00. No other fees for release or administration may be charged.
(2) Towers may not charge additional fees for the use of a cable, flatbed, or dolly. Fees for extensive and unusual recovery and towing operations, including but not limited to the use of specialty equipment, may be charged at a reasonable rate.

If the towing service won't comply, file a complaint www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer.htm

TMinc3000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I called Dominion Towing,
> they tried to hustle $150 out of me less than an
> hour after towing my car, I know it's a Cadillac,
> but I'm not made of money! They towed my car with
> no reason, damaged it, and left me at home with no
> transportation.

They are robbers. Sue them.

Bump

Did you have any luck with your situation?

Also, I hate tow companies a lot, even the fucking hicks that drive them. So I'm walking with my friends to a party some nights ago, and we're walking with cars coming at us on the sidewalk. This one rusty old tow truck comes whizzing by, I look at the fucking hick's face who's in the passenger side and he's like staring at me for those four seconds I saw him. I was like 'fuck you want loser', and flashed a ms-13 sign at him, or at least I think it was.

mariokart Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I was like 'fuck you
> want loser', and flashed a ms-13 sign at him, or
> at least I think it was.

Wow, Wish I was as cool as you.

woz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mariokart Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> I was like 'fuck you
> > want loser', and flashed a ms-13 sign at him,
> or
> > at least I think it was.
>
> Wow, Wish I was as cool as you.


You wanna go offroading sometime, I can show you some skillz :D

duh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> allivant Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > i just babbled about tow truck drivers the
> other
> > day.
> >
> > http://vaburbia.com/?p=79
> >
> > i'm never happy to see one.
>
>
> I've always been happy to see tow truck
> drivers.....because I called them for help.
>
> Try parking legally...even if (gasp) you have to
> walk a little ways...it's good for you!


Nice of you to ASSume I intentionally parked illegally. There were never signs either time.

vaburbia.com