Here's another idea; do you have an American Express card? You can pay the charge then dispute it with your AMEX customer service rep. They will put the charge on hold while the issue is investigated. They will hold the tow company liable, especially if they accept American Express. Just an idea.

In the meantime, here's the law from NJ (check out the comment about multi-resident facilities:)

Towing from private property
Unattended cars cannot be towed from private parking lots, unless:
?
There is a sign, no smaller than 36" high by 36" wide, posted at vehicular entrances to the property stating:


1.
The purposes for which parking is authorized;

2.
The times when parking is permitted;

3.
That unauthorized parking is prohibited and
unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner's expense;

4.
The name of, and contact information for, the towing company and the address of the storage facility?which must be secure and located within a reasonable distance of the property?to which the
vehicle will be towed;

5.
The charges for towing and storage and the times during which the vehicle may be redeemed; and

6.
Contact information for the Division of Consumer Affairs (1-800-242-5846).

The property owner and the towing company have a contract for the towing and the property owner has authorized the towing company to remove the particular vehicle.


The requirements do not apply to a single-family home or an owner-occupied multi-unit structure, and the signage requirements are different for a residential community with clearly marked assigned spaces for residents.

Unlawful practices for towing companies
The Act prohibits towing companies from the following:


Failing to release a vehicle hooked or lifted, but not actually removed from private property, upon request of the vehicle's owner;

?
Trolling (cruising) for vehicles parked without authorzation;

Paying for information about vehicles parked without
authorization;

Refusing to accept an insurance company check or a debit card, charge card, credit card or check for towing or storage services, if the towing company ordinarily accepts such payment at its place of business;

Charging for a towing or storage service not on the Division's schedule of services; and

Charging an unreasonable or excessive fee.

Towing and storage charges:
The towing company's fees must be reasonable.

A reasonable fee is considered one that is no more than 25% greater than the company's fee for the same consensual (vehicle-owner approved) towing services, or no more than 50% above the fees charged by other towing companies in the community for the same towing services without the vehicle owner's permission.

Towing and storage charges cannot exceed rates set by town ordinance.

Vehicle Storage
The Act requires that after a vehicle is towed:

The vehicle must be stored in a secure facility;

The facility's business office must be open to the public between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at least five days a week; and

A towing company must make reasonable accommodation for after-hours release of stored vehicles. The towing company may charge for after-hours release.


http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp/towing.htm

Isn't Society Hill private property so the pred tow law may not apply. If it does apply then the cop who wrote the police report should know better. I guess when you fight this in court the truth will prevail.

.
Did the tow truck guy say he would drop your car if you paid a ?decoupling fee? on the spot?

You should tell your friend to foot some of the bill, if you don?t get out of it. Everyone in SH knows to not park on the street and they also know to warn their guests about it. Did you stop at the guard?s house when entering so he/she could write down your license plate and call whomever it was you were visiting to ask if it was ok to let you in? I ask because usually if the guard in the patrol car or a resident calls the main guard house to complain about an illegally parked car they usually try to contact the owner of the car before calling the towing company.

The towing came about in the summer of 2012. That is when the big towing company signs went up at all entrances into SH. It was fine over the years with everyone following the parking rules. But the newer owners/renters started to not follow the rules and were parking cars all over the place. They were also letting their friends store their cars in visitor?s spots. So the signs say you will be towed if you are parked in someone?s assigned spot, parked in a visitor spot longer then 24 hours, or parked on any street.

Good luck.

Hi All,

I was visiting a friend in Society Hill last for the Pacquiao/Marquez fight. I parked by a curb a few doors down my friend's home. Around 1 AM, as I was leaving my friend's home for the night, I stopped a tow truck from leaving with my car.

The driver told me I was parked illegally and that he could not release the car to me since he had it hitched and lifted. I called the cops and they told me the same thing. I knew this must be wrong so I looked up NJ's Predatory Towing Prevention Act and it clearly states the towing company has to release the car to the owner if it has not yet left the private property.

My question to you JCListers is if you have had any similar experiences and how you handled it. The towing company told me this morning that they don't release cars on sundays so I'm on the hook for 2 days of storage fees and a towing fee, all coming out to $250.

Is there a specific city ordinance regulating towing on private property? Any advice for fighting this?

Thanks