I really do feel for people who's cars are towed. It's a pain, it's expensive and it's never the right time. When I lived in San Francisco my car was towed twice. And this was by the service contracted by the city, which was eventually sued because of their astronomical prices.
All the anger at your car being towed is understandable. But I want to make sure everyone knows that when a car is pulled from a lot or a space, it's at the authorization of the property. The property may deny it just to not have to deal with the fall out, but the tow was authorized. As far as them patrolling lots and taking photos, this is because the property contracted the service to do this to monitor spaces. Security guards, neighbors, etc, don't sign the contracts with the tow service and have no say in what they do.
Tow services are contracted to patrol properties and pull vehicles from fire lanes. It's civil code that these lanes have to be clear and your neighbors don't have to be understanding that guests are only there for an hour or so in their spot so why didn't you just honk on the horn to let know the person to whom the space is assigned is out there. Guest/visitor spots are for that, not residents' extra cars. Again, it was the property that authorized the tow.
I've been dealing with All Day for several years, and they are one of the few vendors we kept the contract with after we acquired these properties. They pulled a car around thanksgiving that someone left, in a fire lane, actually it was blocking everything and everyone. It was just left there by a guest of a resident. I don't know how they could have missed seeing the tow truck because the car was left right in front of the living room window so the tow hooked up, lights and all as well as the big diesel engine you can hear half a mile away, right in front of their living room window. The tow driver saw there was a dog in the back seat and pulled the vehicle off the property but waited across the street so that when the person who left the car and dog like this could retrieve the dog. I've seen them wait for vehicles they see are are illegally parked to determine if the car owner is coming back out - just maybe dropping off groceries. And each time it was that the vehicle owner just disregarded parking rules. I've had people come up to me and flat out lie about what the drivers did. When it turned out that the vehicle owner acted with total disregard for anyone and anything, almost hit several children and barely missed putting his van through someone's living room - because his car was on the lift after he left it in a fire lane for an hour. Rather than allow the driver to lower the vehicle he climbed in the van, drove it off the lift almost causing it to go down a steep hill, hit several children and go through someone's living room. He claimed he was just bringing in groceries, yet came running out the door in his socks and bathrobe after a neighbor knocked at his door telling him his van was about to be towed.
While I feel for everyone whose vehicle was towed because I've been through it myself, signs are on properties for a reason, and if it says no visitor parking unauthorized vehicles will be towed, expect your vehicle to be towed. If it's left in a fire lane, expect it to be towed. If it's blocking dumpsters, expect it to be towed. If it's in an assigned space and it's not your space, expect it to be towed, if a resident's extra vehicle is left in guest parking, expect it to be towed. This is all so that you can come home at night and be assured that your parking spot will be available to you and so that when the emergency vehicles need access lanes are clear. If your home were on fire or if someone kept parking in your space, I guarantee you that you'd look at this differently. read more