San Antonio woman had both her cars towed on the same night. They made her pay $272 per car, and then she found out she was overcharged

Kristina Richie (@kristinarichie) of San Antonio, Texas, accused an unnamed towing company of towing two of her vehicles on the same night. She also alleged that the towing company overcharged her.

“As someone who used to own a towing company, I want to tell you exactly what to do when your car gets towed,” Richie told TikTok. She flew in from California, and her husband met her in San Antonio. They drove a vehicle each for their date night, and her husband suggested a parking spot. He asked if she wanted to park next to him, and she agreed. Richie alleged that neither of them saw any signs asking them to pay for parking.

An hour and a half later, Richie alleged that both of their vehicles were gone. They started looking for their cars, then saw a sign knocked down on the ground. It said “scan to park,” which they should have done after parking. However, because it was run over, Richie said they didn’t see the sign, and thus their vehicles were taken away. She called the number on the sign and tried the QR code, but said neither worked.

She walked around the parking lot and saw the back of a sign. Richie walked over and saw a towing company’s number. When she called, she allegedly got a pre-recorded message. When she was told to press a number to speak with a human, the line allegedly disconnected. Afterwards, she called the San Antonio Police Department to locate her vehicle. Richie was required her to provide either her license plate number or her VIN. Once the police located her vehicle, she and her husband went to the storage yard.

How she got her car back from the towing company

“First things first. This is what you should always say if your vehicle is ever towed without your consent: ‘Can I please get a copy of your nonconsent tow fee schedule?’ This is basically a menu; then it says all their list of charges, what they’re allowed to charge per thing,” Richie explained. She said the woman behind the glass allegedly told her she didn’t know what a nonconsent tow fee schedule is. However, Richie pointed out that one of the signs in the office indicates that a nonconsent tow fee schedule is available upon request. Richie says the towing company is legally required to provide the nonconsent tow fee schedule if someone asks.

Nevertheless, the woman told Richie that she didn’t know what a nonconsent tow fee schedule was. She allegedly instructed Richie to call the next day, then asked for her driver’s license. Amid the paperwork, Richie alleged that the towing company failed to ask for the vehicles’ proof of ownership.

After asking for her husband’s license, the woman said they had to pay $358 per vehicle. Richie asked for a breakdown of the fees, but the woman allegedly refused and told her to pay. In response, Richie cited a Texas code, saying the vehicle owner has the right to inspect a copy of their tow ticket for free. Regardless, she still paid $358 each to get her vehicles back. On their way to get their vehicles, Richie alleged that the woman unlocked the parking lot gate and let them both in unattended.

“We could have done damage to any vehicle in that parking lot,” she commented. Richie found their cars, and hers had front-end damage. Even though she’d already gotten her cars back, Richie still decided to call the towing company about their nonconsent tow fee schedule.

She had questions about her bill

“I’m looking at my bill, and I want you to know that if you ever get towed, take a copy of that bill. And if you don’t know what the laws are, you can find them on your state’s website or whoever does the licensing for your state,” Richie said. One of the first things she noticed about her bill was the towing fee itself. She was charged $272, and Richie acknowledged that it was the state maximum in Texas. However, each city can set its own maximum.

“There was also some random, little fee in there called a ‘Private Party Administrative tow fee.’ TDLR, it’s very specific, and you’re not allowed to charge any bogus fees,” Richie alleged. On top of all that, she was also charged an impound fee and a storage fee. When Richie called the towing company, she said she spoke to the account manager. She asked for their nonconsent tow fee schedule again. However, the account manager allegedly told her they could only provide a copy of her itemized receipt, essentially denying her request for the nonconsent tow fee schedule again.

Richie asked the account manager about the bill. She said both of her cars were towed inside San Antonio, and yet she was charged $272 for the tow fee. The account manager allegedly claimed that the law had changed and that the towing company could now charge $272. Richie claimed that the account manager’s response was made up.

Then, she brought up the damage her car allegedly sustained during towing. Richie asked whether the towing company had photos of her vehicle before they picked it up. However, the woman allegedly claimed that they didn’t own the rights to those photos and couldn’t provide them to Richie.

Allegedly overcharged

She didn’t get the answers she needed, like this man from Houston, who was allegedly denied security footage of his stolen bike. Because of that, Richie contacted another towing company in San Antonio that had its nonconsent towing fee schedule posted on its website.

The manager of the other towing company told her that a police officer handles towing cases in San Antonio. She gave the officer’s number, and Richie called him about the fees. “He confirms that I was absolutely overcharged, and the maximum is $179,” Richie claimed.

Richie added that in Texas, within fourteen days of a car being towed, owners can request an administrative tow hearing through the Justice of the Peace, which costs $54 to file. She said it could help car owners recover their money if the towing company broke the rules.

Because the signs were unavailable, the phone numbers were a dead end, and she was allegedly overcharged, Richie believes she had the right to request a hearing. She filed two hearings for two cars. Additionally, she also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

“Here’s what I want you to know: you have two years to file a formal complaint. If you were overcharged by a company like the one that overcharged me, you have two years that you can make a complaint,” Richie said. Although she had to take a few extra steps to defend herself, it proved worthwhile. On a related note, a woman also represented herself against a police officer in court and won her case after carefully reviewing the evidence.

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