My car was towed in my apartment complex

[lslackjr]

I just rececntly moved back to NC with my fiance in his apartment complex. NC law stated that I turn my license plate in to the DMV for thirty days, due to switching states / insurance. Which also meant I was unable to drive the car. I parked the car in the apartment complex parking lot. While we were on vacation, our car was towed. When we got back we realized that it was gone. The car was towed during the thirty days while the DMV had my license plate. I put a temperary tag on the car with the old license plate number to which I had to turn into dmv. The apartment complex told me which towing company patroled the lot. We never received anything from a towing company or anyone telling us where the car was. The apartment complex did not report our car and had no intention to. After calling this towing company, name given by the apartment complex, 3 weeks later we got a letter. The towing company told me that its costing me $25 a day and added on to the $200 fee it costs to tow it. How can this possibly happen? I did exactly what the DMV told me to do. My bill is over 1,400 and going up each day. I told them I didnt have that kind of money and he told me to hand over the keys and the title. How could this have been avoided? Can they do this? What can I do to get my car back? Any reply is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Duranie]

Most apartment complexes have policies on leaving cars there. If it was in a visitor spot, that was probably the problem. You generally cannot leave a car there for more than a day or 2 otherwise they probably thought the car was abandoned. You really need to make an attempt to go get the car otherwise they can sell your car.

I would ask the complex to see the rules on parking, but if your car had a temporary tags on it and no insurance, and it was not registered to anyone in the complex, the apt complex may have thought the car was abandoned there. Does your fiancee have an assigned spot? Were you officially on the lease?

 

[lslackjr]

Everything was legit

We are both on the lease. The tags were good. The apartment complex didnt order for the car to be towed, they were fine with it. They (tow company) just towed it. I guess if you have a tow truck, you can just tow whatever you want. It was a legal car. I put lost tags on it because I had to turn in the real plates. Like I was told. It just makes me wonder how these crooks can do this. What kind of world is this that someone can come into my apartment complex and tow my car. Then want me to pay 1400, or just hand over my keys and title. Im in the process of taking them to small claims court. I dont see how they can hold up. It just puts my fiance without a car, and for us to have to do everything with one car. Who knows how long this process will take where we have to keep car-pulling. Where's the justice? Can I sue them?