RS2011: File a complaint with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. You have a year to file and receive a refund.


Anyone who thinks they have been cheated by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov or by calling (800) 242-5846 or (973) 504-6200.


More info here:

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/ ... ory_towing_crackdown.html

and here

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _city_towing_firms_e.html

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Yes the person parking was in the wrong, but the towing company cannot demand cash. I think that is the bigger issue. It sounds like a legitimate tow, but the towing company is still employing illegal payment methods. I believe they are required to accept cash, check, or credit/debit card.

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So you say. It doesn't matter in the least. The parking is for the businesses in metroplaza, the tow guy saw you park and leave the property, case closed. They did what they're contracted to do. They're not clairvoyant and knew you were coming back to shop at the stores whose lot you parked in, unlike the hundreds of people who just go to the mall and want to park for free.

Personally, I think having paid parking at a mall is BS, they should have free 3 hr parking, long enough to shop or see a movie but not go to work in the city. But you've got not a leg to stand on. Suck it up.

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a) when you leave your vehicle and trot away from either BJ's, ShopRite, or BB&B then you are cheating.
b) read the comments above in the gazillion postings
c) the police will tell you to take it to the courts but I would have had a cop on the scene with a police report written on the incident. You should have paid by check. I would also report it to the Internal Revenue Service, state and county consumer affairs departments.

My vehicle was unlawfully towed from the shoprite parking lot. We had business at two places - At Shoprite and at Newport Mall. But we decided to complete our transaction at the Mall first. Within minutes, our vehicle was towed. And the E-Z towing guy obnoxiously demanded $225 cash, and said he was closing the shop in 40 minutes. I had no choice but to pay the sum to get my vehicle back.

A Few questions -

a) How can they (or anyone) tell that we do or don't have business at Shoprite or BJs?

b) The E-Z Towing ripped me off with a $225 charge. Can anyone comment on the towing charge?

c) Will it matter if I complain to the police or court?

Anyone feel that they were unlawfully towed by any of the above mentioned towing companies? Personal accounts are best.

Or if you were deservedly towed, did you have to pay cash only to get your car back?

Please PM me ASAP for possible follow up on Fox 5's coverage.

At shoprite they tow without being told so by the store, where as at White Castle the manger calls it it... Plus why isnt JCPD stopping these tow trucks since they have the front windows tinted..

throw spark plugs at the tow trucks and the spotters car windows. hopefully the windows will shatter. a BB gun works wonders too.

oh, and run like hell - don't get caught LOL


a-fuckin-mazing that this is going on for years and NOTHING has been done.

abuse at it's worst!

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I wouldn't be surprised if JCPD is looking the other way for a "fee" - it Hudson County, remember.


Maybe bringing it up with Garden State Towing Association will yield some results.

ok... So here I hear a lot of complaints but they have been doing this for years. Cops dont seem to do anything and the numerous complaints dont do anything. So aside from paying the goons, what really should we be doing here? If they are violating state law, should their operators licensed not be revoked? or is this just another JC thing where the law doesnt apply?

EZ Towing doing a brisk business this morning. I keep seeing them heading west on 8th street as they pass Basic with a new car in tow being brought to their impound at a rate of one every 20 minutes.

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I used to work for a towing company, and they only towed cars under contract ONLY when the owner of the property/business called. What these companies are doing is predatory towing, and that is illegal. They want cash so it will not be recorded and followed up.


I'd call the police too if I saw my car getting towed.

I've often thought that if a few friends and I were bored enough, it would be fun to mess with the towing guys for an afternoon. Park the car in the BJ's lot, start walking toward the mall, turn around and run back to the car the second you step out of the parking lot, rinse and repeat. Use multiple cars to keep them on their toes.

Also, if it is really "illegal to tow a vehicle 'without having been specifically requested to tow such vehicle by the owner of the property", then this whole towing business is illegal, unless the is tower actually calls someone in the store every time they're about to tow someone, and even then the practice runs counter to the spirit of the law.

I guess they towed the wrong car... John Huddy an investigative reporter for Channel Five... go get him John. They've been doing this for years.

Sit near 140 Bay Street and watch the "spotter"... he works for the JCPA... Ticket, Tow, and gone in less than two minutes.

When did Fox Five do this report? Id like 2 see Arnold Diaz get in their ass about their scam towing they got going on.

The spotter seriously claims to have noticed someone leaving a store and going into one not on the lot? Unless they ducked into Pep Boys for a couple of seconds before heading to the mall, it seems a farfetched story.

But people are pretty brazen about parking there for the mall. There'll be 40 cars in the Pep Boys lot and 6 people in the store.

The place that needs towing is Nha Trang, I've seen lots of people park there and wander down Newark.

Here is the link to today's story:
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local ... ivers-new-jersey-20101216

-----------------------
Towing Companies Targeting Drivers

Updated: Thursday, 16 Dec 2010, 2:45 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 16 Dec 2010, 2:03 PM EST

By John Huddy

MYFOXNY.COM - Watching as his car was nearly towed from a lot in New Jersey only one minute after he parked, prompted Fox 5 News reporter John Huddy to investigate the towing company.

What he discovered were some shady business practices and predatory behavior.

The experience was not limited to Huddy. As Fox 5 News witnessed at the Metro Plaza lot in Jersey City, a man sitting inside a car watched people park their vehicles and then appeared to make a call on his cell phone or radio. Within minutes a tow truck pulled into the lot.

The 'spotter' could be seen video recording the tow truck moving a vehicle out of the lot.

When he approached the 'spotter' to ask why he was having the vehicle towed, the man replied ' no comment.'

Huddy witnessed as two tow companies- Danny's Towing and EZ Towing- removed cars and trucks from the lot even when it was wide open.

A man who said he had parked in the lot and was headed to the affiliated BJs store told Fox 5 News his car was towed in a matter of minutes.

"$152.10 just for towing my car? Cash?" said Jean Marie Alezandre. The man said he was paying a bill at a different location but was headed back to BJs to do some shopping as he regularly does when his vehicle was towed.

FOX 5 News also spoke with a man who said his car was towed after going into one of the Metro Plaza stores, and then briefly going to a neighboring business.

By law, private property owners are allowed to have vehicles towed. But 'predatory towing' is illegal in the Garden State.

Tow companies engaging in 'predatory behavior' make thousands of dollars from holding the car until the owner pays up.

According to the New Jersey Predatory Towing Prevention Act:
-it is illegal to charge an unreasonable towing fee
-the towing company must allow people to pay by credit card
-signs must be 36 inches wide by 36 inches tall and clearly marked
-it is illegal to tow a vehicle 'without having been specifically requested to tow such vehicle by the owner of the property

The company G&S Investors owns the Metro Plaza lot in Jersey City. A representative for the company wrote Fox 5 News in an email that no car is towed unless the driver leaves the lot... and that a towing service is necessary to "protect the safety and convenience of the customers of the Metro Plaza merchants."

The questionable towing procedures are not limited to Jersey City.

An undercover investigation was launched by the Union Township Police following numerous complaints from business owners of the P.P.M. Towing company, according to Sgt. Robert Christie.

The NJ Division of Consumer Affairs confirmed there are complaints against PPM Towing, Danny's Towing and EZ Towing.

A representative for Danny's Towing and the owner of EZ Towing told Fox 5 News that they were just doing their jobs.

PPM Towing did not return calls to Fox 5 News.

Store representatives for several businesses at Metro Plaza told Fox 5 News they had received numerous complaints from shoppers about improper towing.

Anyone who feels they may have been a victim of 'predatory towing' should contact local police and the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.

Local Fox News had a piece this morning about BJ parking lot and how these towing truck co. Danny's and E-Z ripping people off. Hopefully something will be done.

Damn! I was about to run off to Burger King to watch the show until I noticed the dates on these posts.

Fox five had a big investigative report on the towing at the BJ's lot.
Maybe they'll be a link later.

among the many things they are doing wrong:

Accroding to state law, towing companies must accept credit cards, Danny's towing anf EZ towing demand cash.

The signs in the lot are smaller than state standards.

The owner must call to have the car towed, as opposed to the spotters.

The best advice they had is if your car is in the middle of being towed call the cops.
If you car had already been towed lodge a complaint with consumer affairs.

well maybe, but she didn't seem to be protesting too much about the actual towing. If she was only shopping in that location they would have no right to tow her. I think she's leaving something out.

"The lady doth not protest too much"

I think she was calling that shopping lot in its entirety a 'mall.'

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So did you also shop at Newport Mall? I thought if you had receipts for your purchases at BB&B/Shop-rite they would have to give you your car back unless they claimed you were also shopping at 'the mall'

I was victim of Danny's towing company today. I have no problem with a business finding a hook to make money. However, what this company is doing is trying to make money using predatorial means. I went shopping today at Shoprite and Bed Bath and Beyond and I came back and my car was gone. It cost me a whopping $152.00. to get it released from the Towing company. I was so upset, I called 911 thinking that my car was stolen and they refused to send assistance by way of the police. The 911 operator proceeded to tell me that my car was prob. towed.

I then arrive at the towing company, where they just demanded the $152.00, when I asked why my car was towed, they continued to state that is will cost $152.00 they did not have to provide justification by way of documentation or anything. Nor did they explain the fee structure.

After determining that they were dishonest and shady, I called the police so that they would serve as a witness--just in case they decided to take my money and not return my car. Because they require cash only as a payment. 911 then decided to send the police because I said that I felt threatened.

The police officer then proceeded to tell me that this company is well know for its shady business dealings and that this happens everyday and there is nothing anyone can do.

Which tells me that the authorities are complicit and allowing Danny?s Towing to operate as a parasite on innocent people?

Well if we cannot rely on the authorities to protect us we must come together as a collective. I say the starting point is to notify other shoppers who shop at the mall so they don't become the next victims. The goal is to hit Danny's Towing in the pocket. They are successful because of people's ignorance. If shoppers are made aware then they will modify their habits--hence not falling in the Danny's towing trap.

I am asking anyone who feels as strongly as I do to rally with me so that we can put an end to their egregiousness.
I am not saying that the owners of the lot don't have a right to enforce rules and then penalize when those rules are broken. But they make sure that their signs are in tiny print so that it can't be seen, and then they hire watchers to catch people who are not aware of the scheme in the act. Then on top of that they charge an outrageous fee without justification... It's a sham, and I am tired of it.

Whoever is interested in joining me to fight back, please reply to this message?

Also please note the following municipal code about towing as per Jersey City:

The state and municipality both have the right, and do, regulate towing. What some folks who have been towed might find of interest is the Jersey City municipal code:


A. Maximum fees to tow, transport, convey or move vehicles.

(1) No tower shall charge more than the following maximum fees to tow, transport, convey or otherwise move a vehicle from one location within the City of Jersey City to another location within the City of Jersey City:

(a) Class I vehicle: $80. In the event the vehicle is towed to the city?s impound yard, the eighty-dollar fee shall include a thirty-dollar administrative fee.

(b) Class II vehicles: $120.

(c) Class III vehicles: $225 per hour (minimum two hours).

(2) In addition to the above charges, recovery of an overturned vehicle, uprighting it or removing it from a hill, ditch or other similar precarious position will be charged no more than the rate of $50, $125, and $225 per hour for vehicle Classes I, II and III, respectively. If an issue arises as to these charges, it shall be the burden of the tower to provide documentation in the form of photographs as to the particular circumstances requiring the additional charges, i.e., position of the vehicle.

(3) No charge shall be imposed on a rotation list tow for waiting time, clean-up, yard fee or any other service not specifically authorized under this chapter.

(4) The above fees are chargeable once a vehicle is hooked-up by the tower.

B. Maximum fees for vehicle storage.

(1) No tower owner shall charge more than the following maximum fees per day, or portion thereof, for storage of a disabled vehicle towed away pursuant to this chapter:

(a) Class I vehicles: $20 per day.

(b) Class II vehicles: $50 per day.

(c) Class III vehicles: $100 per day.

(2) No vehicle shall be released from storage by a tower unless proper owner and vehicle identification are shown.

C. Each driver of a tower shall have a schedule of the maximum prices when responding to the scene of a disabled, abandoned or other vehicle.

D. Before performing any service pursuant to this chapter, the licensee shall furnish the owner or driver of the vehicle with a copy of the schedule of prices. In the event that the owner or driver is incapacitated, the licensee shall furnish such schedule to the owner?s authorized agent as defined herein before such person pays for the services rendered.

This tow truck company is shady as you all know! I stopped in the back of the BJs lot for all of 3 mins to let my kids out at the A Building for a playdate. Yes I do know it was illegal, but I had to drop them off in the lobby and thought it best to hand deliver them into the lobby, and turn around quickly and leave. The driver -- DALE -- saw me running back to my car and as he watched me running and calling to him, he made it a point to look at me while I ran right in front of an approaching light rail train, and continue to hook the car to his tow rig. Now, I know I wasn't stopping to shop in BJs, but I was trying to be a responsible parent and not stop my car during rush hour in front of the A building since there's really no curb there. My kids are young, and I didn't want them walking in by themselves to the lobby.
The main complaint I have with them is that the guy hooked my car up AS I WAS RUNNING UP TO MY CAR. He clearly saw me coming, heard me calling, and witnessed me almost kill myself to reach him, and he hurried to hook the car just so he could be sure to be done by the time I ran back to the vehicle. Which to me, is unnecessarily mean.
Here's the kicker--I saw a police car drive by, so I yelled at it and waved to it to stop and intervene. They stopped for about 10 seconds looked back in their rear view mirror, and DROVE OFF!!

There's JCPD for you. What concern for their citizens!

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In the last paragraph of the story:
"Hector relented and left, but not before telling Pinzon that E-Z Towing would be taking him to court, the report said."

That, as they say in journalism, is called "burying the lede." I'd love to see E-Z Towing actually try to sue the guy.

So who won the Standoff!!??? Hector or the truck guy??

"Hector, the tow truck driver with E-Z Towing and Recovery, insisted he was allowed to tow it off the parking lot. Hector, who didn't give his last name...."

From now on whenever I see a an EZ tow truck I'm gonna yell "Yo, HECTOR!!!"