Aug. 17--Los Angeles city prosecutors have filed criminal charges against four people tied to a towing operation that allegedly engaged in "predatory practices" targeting drivers who left cars at a Northridge parking lot.
From September 2014 to January 2015, drivers for Valley Impound Garage towed 10 vehicles from a lot abutting a small row of stores on Reseda Boulevard to another lot across the street, then demanded that drivers pay to get their cars back, according to Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer.
A criminal complaint filed Friday in L.A. County Superior Court charged Valley Impound Garage owner Steven Garcia with 60 misdemeanors, including unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, refusing to accept payments by credit card and charging an excessive rate for towing and storage.
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Two drivers for Valley Impound Garage face nine misdemeanor charges, including operating without the proper permits and refusing to release a car to an owner who arrived before it was towed away.
The owner of the parking lot where the cars were towed was charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of not contracting with a tow company with proper permits.
"Holding vehicles ransom and charging excessive fees for their release is an outrageous and unscrupulous business practice," Feuer said in a prepared statement. "My office will continue to crack down on predatory businesses, hold their operators accountable, and protect Los Angeles drivers."
Each count carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Garcia did not return an email seeking comment. His attorney, David Kestenbaum, said he could not comment on the charges because his client had not been served with a copy of the criminal complaint.
"I just caution the press that these complaints are made by people who have illegally parked in lots that have the required signage about parking restrictions," Kestenbaum wrote in an email.
He added that he works across the street from the Van Nuys Courthouse and watches people bypass the city's parking lot in favor of the small lot next to his law office.
"People look at all the signs and decide to save $10," Kestenbaum said. "Then they lie about how long they had been there."
One driver who parked in the Northridge lot went into a hair salon and beauty supply store on Reseda Boulevard, Feuer's office said. Twenty-five minutes later, her car was towed, the office said.
She told investigators that the tow truck driver demanded $120 in cash if she wanted to retrieve her car "on the spot," or $280 to fetch it later from the tow yard in Van Nuys.
"That is the basic pattern for all the cases," Feuer spokesman Rob Wilcox said.
California law requires that tow truck drivers wait one hour before towing cars that are parked illegally in commercial lots.
"The law is very clear on that," said Eric Rose, the executive director of the Official Police Garage Assn. of Los Angeles, which represents the city's 18 licensed impound lots. "People make mistakes, and they need to have a chance to come retrieve their cars."
Towing companies in California are required to charge the rates set by local governments. L.A.'s towing fee is $121. The daily fee at the impound lot is $38.
Officials said those who believe they have been towed illegally by Valley Impound Garage can contact the city attorney's office at (213) 978-8340 or the Los Angeles Police Commission's towing complaint hotline at (323) 680-4TOW.
