Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service Inc.

To Whom it May ConcernI need more informationInvoice number and where did we tow it from? OK send me a copyThanksManagement

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be
closed Administratively Resolved]
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:Hi ***,I am responding after reading the reply from the Mid
Atlantic Auto Recovery ServiceBecause I am a board member at the *** ***
I can positively say that the board members of the *** *** was not inform
of such incident, I was not inform that the vehicle (*** *** 2009) was
Tagged for not being in accordance with the rules and regulation of the
propertyI was not aware by the towing company or the four season board which
I am a member that there was an issue with my propertyAs you can see on the receipt
from the towing company, the address from where the vehicle was tow is wrong,
and they do not have any documentation proving that I or the for season board
was aware the vehicle had an issue or their activities on their property
Furthermore, the day the towing company removed my car from my property, they
did not leave any form of indication as that the car was tow by themMy wife
had to contact the police by calling because she toughs the car was stolen
That is not a way to treat others and their propertyIf the towing company won
refund me, and apologize for their behavior, I will like to know if the RevDex.com can assist me in finding legal advice.Thank you
Regards,
*** *** ***

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no...

reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:Hi [redacted],
I am responding after reading the reply from the Mid
Atlantic Auto Recovery Service. Because I am a board member at the [redacted]
I can positively say that the board members of the [redacted] was not inform
of such incident, I was not inform that the vehicle ([redacted] 2009) was
Tagged for not being in accordance with the rules and regulation of the
property. I was not aware by the towing company or the four season board which
I am a member that there was an issue with my property. As you can see on the receipt
from the towing company, the address from where the vehicle was tow is wrong,
and they do not have any documentation proving that I or the for season board
was aware the vehicle had an issue or their activities on their property.
Furthermore, the day the towing company removed my car from my property, they
did not leave any form of indication as that the car was tow by them. My wife
had to contact the police by calling 911 because she toughs the car was stolen.
That is not a way to treat others and their property. If the towing company won
refund me, and apologize for their behavior, I will like to know if the RevDex.com can assist me in finding legal advice.
Thank you.
Regards,
[redacted]

May 12, 2014
To Whom It May Concern:We have received complaint ID [redacted] requesting a refund for towing, storage and travel expenses.Mid Atlantic Auto, hereafter known as MARS, is under contract with [redacted] Apartments to monitor the parking areas of the complex for...

unauthorized or improperly parked vehicles. The regulations regarding vehicles kept on property is stated in each tenants’ lease agreement and requires all vehicles be registered, inspected, remain operable and parked only in authorized areas. A warning sticker for violation is completed either by a complex employee or a representative of MARS, indicating reason and date of removal, and then affixed to the drivers’ side window. The owner/driver of the vehicle then has 48 hours from the time of notification to have the vehicle removed, correct the situation or contact the complex office and/or MARS to request an extension of the removal date. For your reference, I have enclosed one of the no parking stickers used to tag the vehicle.The [redacted] was tagged for removal on March 12th due to having an expired registration sticker affixed to the plate (02/14) and slated for removal on or after March 14th. The vehicle did not display any paperwork, inside or out, showing proof of a current registration nor was MARS contacted by any parties requesting that the vehicle not be towed or offering proof of valid registration. The vehicle was removed from the property by MARS at approximately 10:30 AM on March 14th. [redacted] County dispatch was called and the vehicle information and removal address was reported to dispatcher #**. County then passed the information to the police department in that township which, in this case, is [redacted]. Upon learning that the vehicle was missing, an individual contacted [redacted] Police Department and spoke with Officer [redacted]. It is at that time the individual was advised that the vehicle was in fact not stolen but towed by Mid Atlantic.MARS is unable to verify ownership and registration status as information from PENNDOT is only accessible by police departments. It is the responsibility of the owner to provide MARS or the leasing office proof of valid registration when the plate sticker is expired. The vehicle would not have been tagged or tewed had proof of a temporary registration been visible.The PA Vehicle Code that lists signage requirements DOES NOT apply to privately owned lots and property but specifically to public property and roadways. In addition, the private properties are not required to have towing signs posted or give advance warning of towing but choose to provide that service as a courtesy to residents and guests. It is the right of any private property owner to have a vehicle removed at their discretion that is trespassing or in violation of property regulations. [redacted]s has signs posted at every entrance in addition to numerous signs throughout the complex.It is and always has been the policy of MARS that any fees due from non-consensual towing be paid in cash or certified funds. This policy is stated on the price board in the main office and anyone who inquires about reclaiming a vehicle is advised of our cash only policy.I believe that I have covered the customers’ issues and we stand firm in that we will not refund the fees he paid to reclaim the vehicle.Please contact me should you require additional information or have any questions or concerns. Respectfully,

September 30, 2014
To Whom It May Concern:
The property in which the customer resides is posted by Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service, hereafter knows as MARS, advising residents that we are the towing company for the property. Rules and regulations regarding on property parking are...

stated in the lease that every tenant is required to read and sign and obviously this property has assigned parking spaces. The agreement MARS has with the property gives permission to remove vehicles from unauthorized parking spaces when called by management to do so. Her car was not in the assigned spot and, in that event, management had every right to have the vehicle removed for unauthorized parking. Our practices are neither “wrong” nor “unfair.” We were acting under authority of management and doing the job that we were contracted to do.Obviously I was not on scene when the event occurred so I cannot speak for or defend either party regarding what was said or by whom. However, our company policy states that once the towing process has begun and the vehicle hooked with chains (lifted or not), the driver has the authorization to drop the car for only two reasons. The first being that property management and/or MARS dispatch told him to do so. The second is having payment in full for the hook in cash from the registered owner of the vehicle.Our rate is, and always has been, $120 for unauthorized parking violations. It was fortunate that the neighbor was able to inform her of the tow hook. In addition, the driver actually did her a favor by allowing fifteen minutes to gather the funds necessary to release the car. Had he not, she would have needed to come to our facility to retrieve her car, pay $120 for the hook, $35 per calendar day storage as well as a $55 hour hours redemption fee (payable in cash only) if claimed when the Mid Atlantic office was closed.As for doing damage to the car as a result of the angle, let it be known that our drivers are fully trained and we have an average of over ten years towing experience among our staff. The trucks are equipped with winch cables. Snatch blocks, recovery straps, skates and ramps which, believe it or not, will allow them to remove a vehicle from just about any angle without so much as a scratch.
The customer was, according to her statement, parked in that spot since approximately 7:30 and management phoned MARS at 9:57 to have it removed. Had management been able to ascertain owner information before phoning, it would have been their responsibility to contact the resident to advise of pending removal. Mid Atlantic is not provided a listing of residents and their vehicles. As such, there was no way for the driver to determine whether the vehicle actually belonged to a resident. Regardless, he would have only been permitted to release the vehicle under the conditions listed above. As for space #** being “available after hours/weekends,” that is an issue that she will have to take up with management and/or the leasing company.
Therefore, since the hook was legitimate and requested by management, the customer will need to seek reimbursement from the leasing company and not Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service Inc.
Sincerely,Michelle T
Office Manager

To Whom it May Concern
I need more information
Invoice number.  and where did we tow it from?  OK send me a copy
Thanks
Management

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
 
**. [redacted], who wrote on behalf of
Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service, Inc., referred to as MARS, did not offer a
refund of the fees paid, under protest, to MARS for the release of my vehicle, nor did they
offer to pay my direct expenses for the hardship they caused by improperly
towing and impounding my vehicle. In fact, the information provided by **.
[redacted] helps to identify several of the methods by which the property owner,
in addition to MARS, operated outside Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles
Code in the activities which brought about my complaint.
The attached PA DMV Fact Sheet
outlines the process involving a private property owner lawfully removing an
abandoned vehicle from their property. The 3 methods of removal offered by the
PA State DMV code would have protected my rights in addition to those of the
property owner. The process chosen by the property owner, in conjunction with
the [redacted] MARS, did not take into account that I had not requested, desired,
nor expected my car to be towed from the location where it was parked with
permission from a legal tenant of the apartment complex. I was denied the right
and privileges of due process under the law because...
1) MARS placarded the vehicle, not
the jurisdictional police at the request of the property owner
2) the jurisdictional police, if
they had been contacted, would have determined that the vehicle registration
was valid, and that the car was not abandoned property under the law
3) MARS in effect served in the role
of police and [redacted], which is clearly a conflict of interest when their lack
of due diligence resulted in towing the car for profit. MARS did not know that
the car was operating under a valid temporary registration.
**. [redacted] makes a material
misstatement of fact when she writes that the [redacted] Police provided
information, at the time of filing the stolen vehicle report, that the car was
towed rather than stolen. The stolen vehicle report was made to Officer [redacted]
early in the morning on Sunday (approximately 3 am), March 16, when the car was
first discovered missing. The car was discovered to have been towed and
subsequently impounded by MARS on Monday, March 17th, after MARS opened for
business. MARS had not reported the tow to the jurisdictional Police, so the
jurisdictional Police did not know what had happened to the car until they
called MARS in the course of investigation on Monday the 17th. For more than 24
hours we were left uncertain whether the car had been stolen or towed.
I have also attached Chapter 73 of
Title 75 (the PA Motor Vehicle Code) as this section defines clearly what is to
be considered abandoned property. Portions have been highlighted for emphasis
and relevance. When the car was discovered to be in the possession of MARS,
both **. [redacted] and the Apartment Manager of the [redacted]s Apartment
complex, stated in phone conversations that the car was considered
"abandoned property" because it lacked a current registration
sticker. Chapter 73 of The Code serves to further illustrate what is to be
considered "abandoned property", and the applicable definition
appears to be where both the Inspection Sticker and the Registration Sticker
have been expired for more than 90 days. At the time my car was towed, my car
had a current inspection sticker and was operating under a valid
temporary registration with the displayed sticker having expired within two
weeks of the car being placarded and towed.
The car was parked on the grounds of
[redacted]s for less than 1 week at the time it was towed, and permission
was granted to park by a lease-holding tenant of the apartment complex. By not
calling the Police to initiate the process of considering the car to be
"abandoned property", and by MARS removing my vehicle merely at the
request of the property owner, I was denied the rights and privileges afforded
to me under the laws of Pennsylvania. I am presently requesting, as stated in
the original complaint, reimbursement of my towing fees, storage fees, and
mileage expenses incurred as a result of MARS having removed and impounded my
vehicle
**. [redacted], who wrote on behalf of
Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service, Inc., referred to as MARS, did not offer a
refund of the fees charged by MARS for the release of my vehicle, nor did they
offer to pay my direct expenses for the hardship they caused by improperly
towing and impounding my vehicle. In fact, the information provided by **.
[redacted] helps to identify several of the methods by which the property owner,
in addition to MARS, operated outside Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles
Code in the activities which brought about my complaint.
The attached PA DMV Fact Sheet
outlines the process involving a private property owner lawfully removing an
abandoned vehicle from their property. The 3 methods of removal offered by the
PA State DMV code would have protected my rights in addition to those of the
property owner. The process chosen by the property owner, in conjunction with
the [redacted] MARS, did not take into account that I had not requested, desired,
nor expected my car to be towed from the location where it was parked with
permission from a legal tenant of the apartment complex. I was denied the right
and privileges of due process under the law because...
1) MARS placarded the vehicle, not
the jurisdictional Police at the request of the property owner
2) the jurisdictional police, if
they had been contacted, would have determined that the vehicle registration
was valid, and that the car was not abandoned property under the law
3) MARS in effect served in the role
of police and [redacted], which is clearly a conflict of interest when their lack
of due diligence resulted in towing the car for profit. MARS did not know that
the car was operating under a valid temporary registration.
**. [redacted] makes a material
misstatement of fact when she writes that the [redacted] Police provided
information, at the time of filing the stolen vehicle report, that the car was
towed rather than stolen. The stolen vehicle report was made to Officer [redacted]
early in the morning on Sunday (approximately 3 am), March 16, when the car was
first discovered missing. The car was discovered to have been towed and
subsequently impounded by MARS on Monday, March 17th, after MARS opened for
business. MARS had not reported the tow to the jurisdictional Police, so the
jurisdictional Police did not know what had happened to the car until they
called MARS in the course of investigation on Monday the 17th. For more than 24
hours we were left uncertain whether the car had been stolen or towed.
I have also attached Chapter 73 of
Title 75 (the PA Motor Vehicle Code) as this section defines clearly what is to
be considered abandoned property. Portions have been highlighted for emphasis
and relevance. When the car was discovered to be in the possession of MARS,
both **. [redacted] and the Apartment Manager of the [redacted]s Apartment
complex, stated in phone conversations, on March 17th, that the car was considered
"abandoned property" because it lacked a current registration
sticker. Chapter 73 of The Code serves to further illustrate what is to be
considered "abandoned property", and the applicable definition
appears to be where both the Inspection Sticker and the Registration Sticker
have been expired for more than 90 days. At the time my car was towed, my car
had a current inspection sticker and was operating under a valid
temporary registration with the displayed sticker having expired within two
weeks of the car being placarded and towed.
The car was parked on the grounds of
[redacted]s Apartments for less than 1 week at the time it was towed from the premises by MARS. Permission
was granted to park by a lease-holding tenant of the apartment complex. By not
calling the Jurisdictional Police to initiate the process of considering the car to be
"abandoned property", and by MARS removing my vehicle merely at the
request of the property owner, I was denied the rights and privileges afforded
to me under the laws of Pennsylvania. I am presently requesting, as stated in
the original complaint, reimbursement of my towing fees, storage fees, and
mileage expenses incurred as a result of MARS having removed and impounded my
vehicle. The response by MARS was not a satisfactory resolution of the complaint.
Regards,
[redacted]

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: the tow truck driver should not have hooked the vehicle to begin with. He was told by my neighbor as soon as he pulled in that it was my vehicle, and I lived there. He disregarded the fact that I would move the vehicle immediately and proceeded to hook it. Then he demands $120 to unhook it when it shouldn't have been hooked in the first place. He was in no way nice or understanding or did me any favors. He should not have done anything after being told that I owned the car and would move it. These practices are wrong and unfair. Five other people saw the entire event. He had no reason to hook the car when he was notified upon pulling in whose car it was and that it would be moved. He continued on just to make the $120. 
Regards,
[redacted]

This company is a scam, they have tow trucks circle the parking lot to [redacted] auto's parked in the lot legally. The owner of the shopping center and MARS towing are in together. Both companies are from New Jersey. Doing business in Pennsylvania, pretty soon customers will stop shopping at the stores. Maybe that's the ultimate goal!?

As per the POLICE, my truck was towed because it was "abandoned (while parked in my apartment complex lot with current registration and inspection) but we dont know why." Called and spoke to Heidi who was an a[redacted] and told me my truck was double parked. They must learn to lie in tow truck school. Then it's $265 if I pick it up before midnight (it was towed around 9pm) but they don't open until 8am the following morning so now I get an additional fee to pick it up when they open. I completely understand why tow people are always getting threatened and attacked. They never accept responsibility and are rude, arrogant pks just out to make money. But mind you, the car parked illegally in the handicapped spot and the maintenance truck double parked beside mine was not touched.

02/10/2016Dear [redacted],
We tag residents' vehicles with a visible sticker which gives the owner of the vehicle 48 hours to fix the issue presented to them or contact their leasing office.
It is illegal to drive around with your registration out. Without a new sticker on the license plate we see that as illegal and we are contracted with [redacted] to monitor their premises. You could have contacted your leasing office and advised them that your registration is up to date and you are just
Waiting for the sticker in the mail. They then would contact us and you would be removed off the tow list,There will be no refund of monies in this situation. We were doing our job as contracted with [redacted].
Regards,
Courtney S.
Office Manager

This towing company put no parking signs up behind our business and told us not to worry about it they aren't going to be jerks about it. In one incident they picked up two of our vehicles, with out notice and wanted $120.00 each to drop them off the truck. In another incident I was parked for no more than 5 minute on the posted property and the truck picked up my car and wanted $120.00 to drop it again. This lot has two entrances the one is marked and the other isn't. I'm pretty upset and just want others to know that Mars towing will lie to you and then tow your vehicles. Think twice before pulling on a lot with Mid Atlantic Recovery Service sign on it. There is no grace period.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: I find it strange that when we came back from the [redacted] machine, the office had cleared out. So I still stand by my claim that they were all there to see who would pull the thievery off. I had not just walked into the office if I had my pocketbook on the counter going through it. Just as the picture shows 31 seconds after 5 and we were billed, us walking in at 4:58 is before 5 so that should count. Yes, we were told before 5 and we arrived before 5.  That picture shows the moment she was still questioning us about the car. And we weren't given the option if we come back the next day it would only be $35.00 more. I asked what would be the price if we came back te next day. then we were told. The way your staff handled that was robbery either way you look at it. And I would appreciate it if you would make this right. Yes we owed the towing fees but we should not have been charged that extra. We were there before 5.
Regards,[redacted]

April 25,2014
To Whom It May Concern:We have received the complaint from **. [redacted] regarding the $55 after-hours gate fee that she was charged to reclaim her vehicle on 04/15/2014.There is no disputing the fact that they called to verify the vehicle was on our lot and to...

confirm the price to redeem. However, when she called for the price she was told that the stated amount to reclaim the vehicle was valid only if the pick up was made before 5:00 PM that day.I have enclosed three photos for your reference. A picture showing our posted office hours, a picture of the board posted in our office listing our prices and a frame shot from our surveillance camera showing the time **. [redacted] first walked into the office. Please note that the time was just after 5 PM. There were several employees remaining in the office as stated in her complaint. However, they were all off the clock and a few ended up staying only to take care of **. [redacted] and walk her back into the lot to reclaim the vehicle. Please note that she was told that she didn’t have to pay the after hours fee but that she could come back the following day to reclaim the vehicle for an additional charge of $35 which is the price of an additional day of storage. Obviously she refused that option.In closing, policy is policy. Our office closes and 5 PM and any business conducted after that is considered “after-hours” and is billed as such no matter how many times or when they call to say that they are on the way.Please contact me should you require any additional information. Sincerely,

02/10/2016Dear [redacted],We tag residents' vehicles with a visible sticker which gives the owner of the vehicle 48 hours to fix the issue presented to them or contact their leasing office.It is illegal to drive around with your registration out. Without a new sticker on the license plate we see that as illegal and we are contracted with [redacted] to monitor their premises. You could have contacted your leasing office and advised them that your registration is up to date and you are justWaiting for the sticker in the mail. They then would contact us and you would be removed off the tow list,There will be no refund of monies in this situation. We were doing our job as contracted with [redacted].Regards,Courtney S. Office Manager

Review: Towing company removed my vehicle from parking lot while guest of tenant of apartment complex. Towing company clai** it removed vehicle under authority from Apartment Complex Management Company. Towing company clai** vehicle was removed because it lacked current registration, while in fact, vehicle was operating under valid, temporary, registration. Towing company failed to verify whether vehicle registration was valid at the time vehicle was towed. Towing company failed to properly notify jurisdictional police department from where vehicle was towed, so when vehicle was discovered to be missing from spot where left, a stolen vehicle report was made with jurisdictional police ([redacted], PA) since they had not been notified of a vehicle being towed from within their jurisdiction. [redacted] Police said inadequate towing signage existed in apartment in order for legal towing to be accomplished. Towing company clai** Apartment Complex manager authorized removal of vehicle, so the Towing Company clai** no financial responsibility over problem with vehicle towed, and refused to release vehicle from impound without cash payment of towing fee and storage fees. Fees were paid, in cash, under protest, after the Towing Company refused my request to waive all charges since vehicle had valid registration while parked at complex, and subsequently was towed.Desired Settlement: I would like Towing company and Apartment Management Company to fully reimburse me for Towing fees of $120.00, Storage Fees of $140.00, and mileage for 2 round trips to area involving approximately 270 miles of travel valued at $148.50. Total value of reimbursement should be $408.50.

Business

Response:

May 12, 2014To Whom It May Concern:We have received complaint ID [redacted] requesting a refund for towing, storage and travel expenses.Mid Atlantic Auto, hereafter known as MARS, is under contract with [redacted] Apartments to monitor the parking areas of the complex for unauthorized or improperly parked vehicles. The regulations regarding vehicles kept on property is stated in each tenants’ lease agreement and requires all vehicles be registered, inspected, remain operable and parked only in authorized areas. A warning sticker for violation is completed either by a complex employee or a representative of MARS, indicating reason and date of removal, and then affixed to the drivers’ side window. The owner/driver of the vehicle then has 48 hours from the time of notification to have the vehicle removed, correct the situation or contact the complex office and/or MARS to request an extension of the removal date. For your reference, I have enclosed one of the no parking stickers used to tag the vehicle.The [redacted] was tagged for removal on March 12th due to having an expired registration sticker affixed to the plate (02/14) and slated for removal on or after March 14th. The vehicle did not display any paperwork, inside or out, showing proof of a current registration nor was MARS contacted by any parties requesting that the vehicle not be towed or offering proof of valid registration. The vehicle was removed from the property by MARS at approximately 10:30 AM on March 14th. [redacted] County dispatch was called and the vehicle information and removal address was reported to dispatcher #**. County then passed the information to the police department in that township which, in this case, is [redacted]. Upon learning that the vehicle was missing, an individual contacted [redacted] Police Department and spoke with Officer [redacted]. It is at that time the individual was advised that the vehicle was in fact not stolen but towed by Mid Atlantic.MARS is unable to verify ownership and registration status as information from PENNDOT is only accessible by police departments. It is the responsibility of the owner to provide MARS or the leasing office proof of valid registration when the plate sticker is expired. The vehicle would not have been tagged or tewed had proof of a temporary registration been visible.The PA Vehicle Code that lists signage requirements DOES NOT apply to privately owned lots and property but specifically to public property and roadways. In addition, the private properties are not required to have towing signs posted or give advance warning of towing but choose to provide that service as a courtesy to residents and guests. It is the right of any private property owner to have a vehicle removed at their discretion that is trespassing or in violation of property regulations. [redacted]s has signs posted at every entrance in addition to numerous signs throughout the complex.It is and always has been the policy of MARS that any fees due from non-consensual towing be paid in cash or certified funds. This policy is stated on the price board in the main office and anyone who inquires about reclaiming a vehicle is advised of our cash only policy.I believe that I have covered the customers’ issues and we stand firm in that we will not refund the fees he paid to reclaim the vehicle.Please contact me should you require additional information or have any questions or concerns. Respectfully,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

**. [redacted], who wrote on behalf of

Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service, Inc., referred to as MARS, did not offer a

refund of the fees paid, under protest, to MARS for the release of my vehicle, nor did they

offer to pay my direct expenses for the hardship they caused by improperly

towing and impounding my vehicle. In fact, the information provided by **.

[redacted] helps to identify several of the methods by which the property owner,

in addition to MARS, operated outside Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles

Code in the activities which brought about my complaint.

Review: On 9/25/2014, my vehicle was parked outside of my apartment building in space 23, which is a staff parking spot ( available after hours/ weekends, as per our leasing company). I arrived home around 730pm with a good number of bags from shopping. As my space is a considerable distance from the enterance of the building, I parked in space 23 to facilitate carrying in my bags. I had planned to return to move my vehicle to my assigned spot; however, became side tracked. At approximately 10pm, a neighbor came knocking on my door. He informed me that he saw a tow truck pull into the lot and behind my vehicle. He said that he told the driver that he knew whos car this was and that I lived in the building. The driver said to him "too bad" and continued to remove chains and what not from his truck. My neighbor ran upstairs to get me. My husband answred the door and ran down immediately. The tow truck driver said that he had already hooked the vehicle and could not release it unless we paid $120 cash. The vehicle was not lifted, and honestly would never have made it out of that spot with out sustaining serious damages due to the configuration of the parking lot. We advised that driver that the vehicle had not been picked up, we lived here, he was told prior to even beginning the process that it was our vehicle and there was no need. He said that either we produce the $120 cash in 15min or he was towing the vehicle. Luckily our neighbor lent us $120 so that the hook could be removed from our car.

This is absolutely ridiculous. The man was told before even starting that we owned the vehicle and lived in the building. The spot was not an assigned spot, as per our landlord, upon our move in at the end of May. There was no need for the tow truck driver to proceed or take the $120. This is unfair and unjust in every way.

**I have photos of how the vehicle was parked and hooked and of the receipt if needed. My neighbor who spoke with the dirver initially will also provide a statement on our behalf as will 4 other tenants who were outside at the time. Although I do not know the other people, I can get their information if necessary.**Desired Settlement: I feel that the business has a duty to provide me with a refund wheather it be cash or check. There practices are wrong and unfair.

Business

Response:

September 30, 2014To Whom It May Concern:The property in which the customer resides is posted by Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service, hereafter knows as MARS, advising residents that we are the towing company for the property. Rules and regulations regarding on property parking are stated in the lease that every tenant is required to read and sign and obviously this property has assigned parking spaces. The agreement MARS has with the property gives permission to remove vehicles from unauthorized parking spaces when called by management to do so. Her car was not in the assigned spot and, in that event, management had every right to have the vehicle removed for unauthorized parking. Our practices are neither “wrong” nor “unfair.” We were acting under authority of management and doing the job that we were contracted to do.Obviously I was not on scene when the event occurred so I cannot speak for or defend either party regarding what was said or by whom. However, our company policy states that once the towing process has begun and the vehicle hooked with chains (lifted or not), the driver has the authorization to drop the car for only two reasons. The first being that property management and/or MARS dispatch told him to do so. The second is having payment in full for the hook in cash from the registered owner of the vehicle.Our rate is, and always has been, $120 for unauthorized parking violations. It was fortunate that the neighbor was able to inform her of the tow hook. In addition, the driver actually did her a favor by allowing fifteen minutes to gather the funds necessary to release the car. Had he not, she would have needed to come to our facility to retrieve her car, pay $120 for the hook, $35 per calendar day storage as well as a $55 hour hours redemption fee (payable in cash only) if claimed when the Mid Atlantic office was closed.As for doing damage to the car as a result of the angle, let it be known that our drivers are fully trained and we have an average of over ten years towing experience among our staff. The trucks are equipped with winch cables. Snatch blocks, recovery straps, skates and ramps which, believe it or not, will allow them to remove a vehicle from just about any angle without so much as a scratch.The customer was, according to her statement, parked in that spot since approximately 7:30 and management phoned MARS at 9:57 to have it removed. Had management been able to ascertain owner information before phoning, it would have been their responsibility to contact the resident to advise of pending removal. Mid Atlantic is not provided a listing of residents and their vehicles. As such, there was no way for the driver to determine whether the vehicle actually belonged to a resident. Regardless, he would have only been permitted to release the vehicle under the conditions listed above. As for space #** being “available after hours/weekends,” that is an issue that she will have to take up with management and/or the leasing company.Therefore, since the hook was legitimate and requested by management, the customer will need to seek reimbursement from the leasing company and not Mid Atlantic Auto Recovery Service Inc.Sincerely,Michelle TOffice Manager

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: the tow truck driver should not have hooked the vehicle to begin with. He was told by my neighbor as soon as he pulled in that it was my vehicle, and I lived there. He disregarded the fact that I would move the vehicle immediately and proceeded to hook it. Then he demands $120 to unhook it when it shouldn't have been hooked in the first place. He was in no way nice or understanding or did me any favors. He should not have done anything after being told that I owned the car and would move it. These practices are wrong and unfair. Five other people saw the entire event. He had no reason to hook the car when he was notified upon pulling in whose car it was and that it would be moved. He continued on just to make the $120.

Regards,

Review: My son's car was towed on 4/15/2014, He called three times, the first time to verify the company had possession of his car and the cost, the second time to tell them we would be there in fifteen minutes and the third time to tell them we were leaving the bank and two minutes away.We arrived at the location and was inside of the building at 4:58. The office had three drivers and two ladies inside all watching what transpired. It was apparent that they had a plan to charge us extra. One of the ladies acted like she couldn't find our ticket while asking several questions about the car and where it was towed from. Acting like maybe the car wasn't there. She then handed the ticket to one of the drivers who handed it back to her and stated " This is one of [redacted], I'm not doing it, you do it." The second lady left out the door. When presented with the ticket about three minutes later there was an extra cost of $55.00, when I asked her what it was for she stated, " Open gate fee, " I looked at the clock and it was 5:02. The second Lady then came back into the office and announced someone had called and said they were at the bank and two minutes away, I let her know that was us that called. She said "oh". Then the first lady proceeded to tell me there was a [redacted] machine next door at the bank. When I came from the bank I told her it wasn't fair to be charged that fee when it took her three minutes to find the paper work that was called about 3 times and we were in the office before 5 o'clock. She ignored me and my complaints.Desired Settlement: I would like the $55.00 back plus the $3.00 bank fee. Because no one said anything on the phone about a late fee after 5'o' clock and technically we were in the building before 5 o' clock.

Business

Response:

April 25,2014To Whom It May Concern:We have received the complaint from **. [redacted] regarding the $55 after-hours gate fee that she was charged to reclaim her vehicle on 04/15/2014.There is no disputing the fact that they called to verify the vehicle was on our lot and to confirm the price to redeem. However, when she called for the price she was told that the stated amount to reclaim the vehicle was valid only if the pick up was made before 5:00 PM that day.I have enclosed three photos for your reference. A picture showing our posted office hours, a picture of the board posted in our office listing our prices and a frame shot from our surveillance camera showing the time **. [redacted] first walked into the office. Please note that the time was just after 5 PM. There were several employees remaining in the office as stated in her complaint. However, they were all off the clock and a few ended up staying only to take care of **. [redacted] and walk her back into the lot to reclaim the vehicle. Please note that she was told that she didn’t have to pay the after hours fee but that she could come back the following day to reclaim the vehicle for an additional charge of $35 which is the price of an additional day of storage. Obviously she refused that option.In closing, policy is policy. Our office closes and 5 PM and any business conducted after that is considered “after-hours” and is billed as such no matter how many times or when they call to say that they are on the way.Please contact me should you require any additional information. Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Review: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: I find it strange that when we came back from the [redacted] machine, the office had cleared out. So I still stand by my claim that they were all there to see who would pull the thievery off. I had not just walked into the office if I had my pocketbook on the counter going through it. Just as the picture shows 31 seconds after 5 and we were billed, us walking in at 4:58 is before 5 so that should count. Yes, we were told before 5 and we arrived before 5. That picture shows the moment she was still questioning us about the car. And we weren't given the option if we come back the next day it would only be $35.00 more. I asked what would be the price if we came back te next day. then we were told. The way your staff handled that was robbery either way you look at it. And I would appreciate it if you would make this right. Yes we owed the towing fees but we should not have been charged that extra. We were there before 5.

Regards,[redacted]