I parked my motorcycle in my assigned parking spot in my building and it was towed. Setting aside all sorts of outrage about how it happened and the near epic adventure getting it home, the kicker was the cost: $520, more than 25% of what I paid for the bike itself, and more than double the charge for towing a car.
I’ve never seen a motorcycle towed and apparently they do it rarely, as they had my bike and a old Suzuki that had clearly been abandoned. Does anyone know what’s involved that makes it cost so much more than towing a car?
It shouldn’t be any cheaper because they have to use the same truck as for towing a car. I don’t know why it would be more expensive. Maybe there’s a higher chance of damaging a bike while loading it and they cover it by charging more. Or if they were towing another bike with yours, you might want to make sure they aren’t charging you for both.
I’ve never actually seen a motorcycle “towed” as a car is. The one time I was mechanically stuck on a bike and had to have it 'towed" they came with a small trailer with a ramp and pushed it onto the trailer. Cost $65 plus a buck a mile after the first 5 miles so it cost me $85. At that time (10 years ago) AAA basic plan wouldn’t cover motorcycles!:mad: Don’t know if it does now.
Why did your cycle get towed? Does the $520 include some kind of parking ticket as well? A trespass parking ticket can be hundreds of dollars in some places.
In this situation I can see it costing more. And to the post where it was said they use the same vehicle to tow as for towing a car, that’s not necessarily the case.
First, if the bike’s forks were locked, it’s no longer easy to push the bike up a ramp. The bike would have to be lifted onto the tow vehicle. That’s at least a 2-man job, unless it’s a 50CC trials bike and in that case one strong man can lift it. I’m guessing the OP’s bike is not that light. Most are in the 300-600bs range. Second, the tow vehicle needs to have a flat bed or dedicated motorcycle trailer or tow setup. Getting a dedicated motorcycle tow trailer to the tow site is an extra cost.
Second, you need good straps to cinch down and secure the bike. Typically four straps of the come-along variety. The straps have to be attached to the bike carefully to avoid damaging brake lines and such.
All this takes quite a bit of extra time, not to mention expertise. Not all car tow drivers know how to secure a bike.
So, yeah, $500 is understandable. Ouch, yes, but understandable.
No ticket involved as it was parked in my private space at my condo. The towing company’s signage clearly states they charge $200 to get your car back, $500 for a motorcycle.
The annoying part? They somehow damaged one of the ignition leads so the bike wouldn’t run. After paying $520, I got to push a 400-lb bike about a mile and a half home in 85-degree heat. :rolleyes:
You voluntarily towed it. The OP’s situation undoubtedly contained impound fees, which can be pricy. Last time I remember being unwillingly towed, my car was held Thurs-Mon, or Fri-Mon (closed over the weekend) for ~$300. Not sure if they charged for the days they were closed.
Bureaucracy being what it is, I hope the OP doesn’t end up getting screwed. Was there a stated reason for towing it? Does your complex have parking stickers or something? Hopefully you can recoup most of it, and the damage from the towers, although they may likely fight it.
Ah, thought I mentioned that but edited from my previous post. We have a problem with our towing company - we pay them to monitor the lot, but it’s pretty much only residents they tow. The parking permits are hang tags that dangle from your rear view mirror, and if it falls down or is somehow obscured they tow you. Never mind that it’s clearly visible lying on the dash or seat, or they’ve seen your car there forever and surely know it belongs there. It’s been happening to other residents for years, to the point we’ve changed companies at least once. There was talk of going to stickers last year to alleviate the issue, but nothing came of it.
In my case, the tag apparently fell off the bike (or was it helped?). It was lying right there in my spot when I came out to find my bike gone, but the tow company “didn’t see it” so away they went.
There is a whole industry of “predatory towing”. You can google that, and find a whole bunch of rant-and-frothing-rage forums. This happened regularly at the apartment I lived in several years ago.
It is widely assumed, I believe, that apartment owners or their management companies get a piece of those towing fees.
California recently (about 5 years ago?) passed a law to regulate towing practices, including remedies for vehicle owners whose cars were illegally towed. As far as I can tell, this seems to have put a big damper on those kinds of practices.
The apartment where I live now has a contract with a towing company, and the management periodically gives us threatening-sounding notices about parking rules and towing. The towing company gives me the impression of being a (formerly) predatory one, and the apartment management company definitely strikes me as predatory. But I’m not seeing a lot of cars being towed here. I’m guessing that this is due to the towing laws now in place in Ca.
ETA: In my apartment now, we don’t use stickers or tags or any way to mark cars that live here. Supposedly, cars parked in any spaces but their own will be towed, as will visitor cars parked in assigned spaces. I have no idea how the towing company is supposed to know what cars belong where. It may be that they only tow if a tenant complains, or if a car seems abandoned. Of course, they tow any car with expired tags – but the law now requires a notice to be put on the car for several days before that happens.
I know people assume the lots/bldgs get a cut but I’ve set up towing service contracts for work and yeah, I was stunned to discover we were paying those guys to check our lot, plus they get money for the cars towed, so they get money coming and going.
Lots of residents (me among them) think we could get by without towing service, but we’re close to Wrigley Field and Cub fans will park anywhere that isn’t ruthlessly protected. I think we’re far enough away to not worry (about 8 blocks) but others worry.
Ideally, we need a place on call. If someone finds a car in his spot, call them, but leave us alone otherwise (this would also help with visitor parking, as you could let someone else use your spot). Keep the permits and stickers as a front to discourage outsiders.
I hate to say it, but…
Lawyer up
It’s the modern equivilent of strapping on a gun and calling a card-cheat into the street.
You were cheated. And damaged (in the legal sense).
Understand that the reason I’m asking about the ticket is out of personal experience. 25 Years back we owned a townhouse and forgot to inform the condo assholeciation that I bought a new car. 2 hours after the first time I parked it in my spot I got a trespass parking ticket for $150. That’s like almost $300 now. I easily got the ticket dismissed but it still stuck in my craw.
Me thinkin’ the “predatory towing” theorist may be on to something.
Before I go that route, I’ll talk to bldg mgmt. Unfortunately, the person I need to talk to is out this week. And I can’t grouse - afaik, he’s never taken a vacation in the 7 years I’ve lived here.
What’s annoying is my bike has been on the street ever since. The towers say that any vehicle has to both be listed with them and have the tag visible and my bike had neither. There’s not much I can do about their claim they didn’t see my hang tag on the ground next to the bike, but I know the office has it listed as I change vehicles a lot and make sure to keep the list updated (my neighbors are amazed it took this long for something of mine to be towed, as they’ve had the same “new car towed” issue you had). Until mgmt confirms the bike is listed with them, I can’t risk it being towed again.
The issue for most people is the hang tags falling, so I was surprised when they said they’ve also got a list of what cars can use the parking. Rather than requiring both, the policy should be that if a vehicle is either on the list or has a tag, leave it alone. That would eliminate the problem for residents completely, I’d think. Why are we jumping thru their hoops?
There’s a thought. If you think that being on the manager’s list should, alone, immunize you from towing [sounds reasonable to me!] then maybe you have a case. You shouldn’t need to consult a lawyer for this. Consider small claims court.
8 Blocks? I’ve only been to Wrigley once. I parked on the street and I think we walked about a mile or mile and half. Granted it was a Cubs/Sox game which I understand are a bit more crowded, but still, we had a hard time finding parking even that far away.
(and yes, I know this thread got bumped by a spammer)
Indeed, the actual towing staff may be disgruntled about being there,
they may be doing things to residents as protest and retribution for being asked to i to non-residents (The tow truck drivers sort of guy…)
On Tuesday this week, I was visiting a customer and noticed their towing sign.
I found the rate for motorcycles unbelievable: $200/hour!
Cars were $150 per day or something.
Chicago Suburbs.
