Tow truck drivers/operators...I need your help.

[96blkbeauty]

Two nights ago my Ranger was towed from my apartment complex due it not having a parking pass. I know I should have gotten one, but to be honest I see lots of cars without them everyday. But that is beside the point.

The company that towed it is real shady, a small private tow company, with three employees. They rent a small part of a yard from another company.

When I went to pick up my truck, my .40 cal Taurus was missing out of it. I asked the owner and manager, and they both claim they have no idea what happened to it. When I got to the yard, my window was down and my passenger door was unlocked...the truck was in neutral and the parking brake was off. I told the manager about all this, suggesting that its probable her tow truck driver took the gun. She stated that "they did not even get into the vehicle to tow it, and that they used a flat bed." I assume this can be done, correct?

But that brings me to the next point...can a vehicle be flipped 180 degrees with this equipment? I mean, without getting into the vehicle. When I parked my truck for the night, it was parked front first into a median (no access to it from the front). I assume they would have towed the truck on the flatbed with my truck facing backwards. When I picked my truck up, it was "backed" into its spot...meaning the back of the truck was backed up against a shed. Something about that seems fishy.

Bottom line is all this seems kinda shady. I am almost certain it wasn't a random person breaking into my truck...if they wanted to they would have broken my window, and taken the other expensive **** in my truck (my two pairs of oakleys, and my bow).

I called the police, and submitted a missing firearm report. But thats pretty much all they can do.

Any suggestions?

[RicardoJM]

Sorry to hear the new James. Regarding the two truck stuff, I was out of town on business during 9/11. When I got back to the airport my Bronco had been moved away from the terminal building to another part of the parking garage. So, I'm pretty sure that flipping a vehicle 180 degrees is easy enough to do.

[BlackRubi]

Without getting in it, and it being backed into a space, something does sound odd. My wife's car was towed for the same reason. She parked with the front close to a wall, and when we got the car back, it was nose first in the space. I don't really see a towing company putting forth that much effort to rearrange a car.

[Hypoid]

I had a car impounded of the street. It was parallel parked so tight they pulled the thing out sideways to get it.

I hope your firearm turns up soon.

[WINKY]

im sure you realized this, never leave guns in vehicles.

I hate tow companies. all of them are shady. hope you get everything back.

I would start looking at local pawn shops for the pistol. if it was registered report it if you havent already.

[Lysmachia]

Yup, since you reported the gun to the police, reputable pawn shops will not take it and will notify the police. I assume you have the registration number of the gun? I'm really sorry that happened to you. And if you really want to do the needle in a haystack go to the next Tanner Gun Show.....

[1freaky1]

Sorry to hear that news but to answer your question on the vehicle being turned around, the only way that would happen is for them to get into it and turn it to back it in the space they left it at once it was unloaded. Hopefully your gun shows up in a legal manner rather than some crime scene.

[sanddawg]

Hi guy's
I just wanted to give my two cents worth on this. Trust me i am in NO way know what really goes on with them. However I have seem them use a wheel dolly (Portable) quick and easy very quite. They can hook the open end (front or rear) end dolly the other drag the vehicle out to the open space then load vehicle properly on the flatbed and never enter the vehicle. Otherwise they would have to had dragged the vehile out to an open area to load it properly. If that was the case then there would have been tire marks on the pavement. most tow rigs will have them mounted on the sides or rear of their rigs for easy access. they can be either a one piece or seperate dollys. I hope that this helps.

[traliduster2]

I to have seen these dollies. There is a way for them to pick up the drive wheels. for instance there probably using a small floor jack that thay keep in the tow trucks tool box. slid the two dollies under the wheels and off thay go. once there out of the view of said residance thay can eather remove the dollie or just leave them in place. I have watched to many repo showes! these guys can take a car out of most any spot or position you can think of. now as far as the stolen gun is concerened, You did the right thing by contacting the P.D. Now you probable will not get the gun back untill A: the weapon is used in a crime and thay recover the weapon. Or B: it is trying to be pawned. Eather way I would not expect it back any time soon. I have been there the concealed carry class at paridice sales. He is a investigator for the Springs P.D. as well as others. Top notch guy. Most any weapon that is stolen is pretty much gone. However there are exceptions. I wish you the best and really hope that you get your gun back.
Marc

[Roostercruiser]

Im sorry that really sucks, i used to rodeo with poeple fromnwyatts towing there not responsible fornstuff missing out of cars. Ihave my truck towed out of my old townhouses andnlost everything i had in the bed

[gm4x4lover]

The new auto loader beds are pretty sweet. They can load from inside the truck and the stinger can turn 90 deg side ways. Have you ever seen the wheel dollys they sell for home garages? I think harbor freight also sells them. They use those to jockey cars around so they can grab them how ever they need. Sorry to hear about the missing firearm, but like randy said you should never leave them in your car.

[96blkbeauty]

Thanks for all the responses. No new news to report. I'm sure the gun is long gone.

I typically don't leave my guns in my trucks. When I do carry them in my truck I don't just put them out in plain view. The gun was always in the center console. And when I was away from the truck, the windows were up, and the truck was locked. If you think about it, there isn't much difference between that and leaving your guns unattended in a locked house. Someone can break into your house, and steal your guns then too. Either way, I always leave my guns "secure." Unfortunately, someone got the best of me this time.

[Haku]

I don't see how this is anything other then theft. If you left the vehicle locked and with the windows up, and when you went to the tow place and the doors were open and the windows down, that is a definite invasion of property. I have no idea how Tow companies get away with that stuff (really....I can't write "cr*p?), but its my belief that they are absolute bottom feeders and there are no lower forms of human then that kind of tow truck company. The ones who specialize in rescuing broken cars are fine, but any company that spends most of its time towing misparked cars and then towing exorbitant "storage" fees for it are just the crappiest possible people out there. For some reason Police just overlook all the stuff they do, and refuse to pursue it. I don't see how a private citizen taking your vehicle from where you put it with no warning or notice, regardless of signs or whatever, can't be constituted as theft. Further, how they can "not be responsible for lost or stolen items" out of the vehicle or not responsible for damage to the vehicle is completely beyond me.

If you can afford it, I would say an attorney would be something to pursue. That is pretty much the only way that you can get back at these guys.

Josh

[gm4x4lover]

It is 100% theft, but who stole it? We can speculate that it was the tow company but there has to be proof. On top of that in most cases how can you honestly prove the gun was in the truck or the purse was in the ladies car. People constantly try and take advantage of other people, is it right either way? No its not but sadly its the world that we live in. On top of that the tow companies can only charge what the P.U.C. allows them to charge. It is all set in stone and its not one single company taking advantage of anyone but its the way those business have to be run. I dont know how the P.U.C. figures out what the charges should be but that have a very well layed out plan of what the hook up fee is, the charge per mile, the storage fee's per day, and lastly the drop fee if somebody comes out to a truck hooking there car. In truth the first wrong was him not having a parking pass and he knew what the outcome would be sooner or later. Now i think james knows this because he isnt complaining about the fees and the original tow charge.

[96blkbeauty]

That is correct. I know you are required to have a parking pass, and I understand and accept the fact that it was towed....even though about half the cars here at this complex don't have parking passes. Hell, i've seen the same guy illegally park in the handicap spot at least 50 times. Unfortunately, they said that "my Ranger was the first vehicle they saw without a pass."

I need to look into pursuing it further. I just don't know if its worth it...if I have a case or what. Honestly, it is a problem proving that the gun was in there originally. Its another problem proving the tow truck driver took it. It seems like I have no real case.

[96blkbeauty]

This company is definitely a shitty company. Its amazing to me that they are just allowed to tow your vehicle without even letting the leasing office know what vehicles were towed that night. At least provide them a list, so when the owners of the vehicle wake up to find their vehicle gone, they can have answers for their residents. Who knows how many cars the tow company tows. And they aren't require to provide any kind of history of what they have towed. Who's to say they don't steal 1 of 10 cars they tow? The owner would never know. I can understand towing a vehicle that is parked illegally in a handicap spot, or on a yellow curb. But they should ticket you if you all you did was park in a regular spot without a pass.