They've been known for not following the rules.

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

Its called predatory towing, there is an act to prevent it. There are guidelines that they are supposed to follow, and rarely do.

Agree totally - I'd also like to see an agreed periodic payment system for those that can't make a one hit payment.
It might be interesting to research if there is also a provision to get your car out without making any payment, but agree to make payment within a prescribed date.
I would have thought the towing company could not use extortion tactics to prevent you from getting your car due to financial hardship. (I have a feeling that towing companies are omitting what options you might have)

There would be legislation in place that states how payments are to be made, exemptions and how you can challenge the tow.
You get a period of time to pay parking and speeding fines plus the opportunity to challenge the fine in Court before handing over any money .... the same should apply to towing violations.

The ticket you get from the towing co. should highlight all your payment options, how to pay and challenge options on the back of it ... or does it?

The "cash only" business is also a classic way for businesses and their employees to avoid reporting the income they are making and hence not have to pay income taxes on it.

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Well then the law needs to be changed or there should be some special provision that disallows such charges from being cancelled, otherwise these towing charges are violating city and state laws through their "mitigating". They must allow you to pay by credit card as the law stands right now and police should be enforcing it.

A towing yard that says "Cash Only" is breaking the law. Simple as that.

You can cancel a credit card payment AFTER you retrieve your vehicle, whereas CASH you can't - EZ Towing are just mitigating that option.

You know, I don't have a problem with EZ Towing or any other company towing non-shoppers from store parking lots, but what really pisses me off is that they routinely violate both city AND state laws that REQUIRE them to accept credit cards as payment for towing fees. The police won't do anything about it either as I understand it. When city inspectors come to the towing lots, the owners pull out their credit card machines and show them to the inspectors, then put them away and won't use them when people come to pay their towing fees.

So people have to go look for an ATM at a bank that they aren't a customer of and pay more outrageous fees. Yes, this is all a result of peoples' own bad decisions to illegally park, but it would be nice if the city and state laws that are on the books are actually enforced and people could pay the fees by credit card.

I've never even been towed at Shop-Rite or anywhere else in Jersey City, but totally avoid doing business at Shop-Rite, Bed Bath, Pep Boys and BJ's for this reason.

I think a lot of people use that lot for PATH access as well as Newport Green/other offices in the area.

I recently shopped there and noticed a security guy on one of those two wheel scooter things going around car to car. Not sure what he was looking for, but seems to me may have been for towing purposes.

I'm not sure what there policy is if you shop there and then take kids over to Newport Green - I'll ask next time I'm there and post...

I would think some people who work in the offices in the area, or the Marriot, to avoid paying for parking, would try to park there. I've seen the same thing at the Staples/Model's parking lot.

Thanks for the heads up. One day after shopping at Target we walked over to Newport Green for a while. We can't be the only ones who've had that idea. It was a hot day and the park, especially the sprinklers, were really busy with lots of families.

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Maybe the park?

That's so odd... Why would anyone park there if they're not shopping there? Target is not exactly close to the mall or the PATH station (well, maybe if you're commuting and think you can get away with it). Is there something I'm missing about the area where the Target lot would suddenly become attractive for parking scofflaws?

Just a quick heads up - was in Target late this afternoon and saw at least five cars towed away from the lot. They have new red signs (parking for Target shoppers only) throughout the lot with EZ Towing as the company of record for towing.

Don't park there if you're not shopping there!