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Car towed in alley with Easement, is this legal?

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Slanter

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington

A friend of mine signed his car over to me to sell for him while he was out of state, my house has a parking lot that opens into a gravel alleyway, and directly across the street is the back wall of a large warehouse. So I parked it across from my driveway along the outside of the warehouse. It was there for 2 months while I was trying to sell it, tucked against the warehouse wall giving plenty of room for egress and ingress through the alley (in fact the dumpster they have is poked out into the alley further than the car). So one morning I discover its gone. Turns out the company hired a tow company to come out way early in the morning and take it, without asking me to move it, or posting any "no parking" signs, or anything... just up and had it towed and told the towing company that it had been there for four years. I can prove that it hadn't even been in my posession for more than a couple months. So can I fight this?
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington

A friend of mine signed his car over to me to sell for him while he was out of state, my house has a parking lot that opens into a gravel alleyway, and directly across the street is the back wall of a large warehouse. So I parked it across from my driveway along the outside of the warehouse. It was there for 2 months while I was trying to sell it, tucked against the warehouse wall giving plenty of room for egress and ingress through the alley (in fact the dumpster they have is poked out into the alley further than the car). So one morning I discover its gone. Turns out the company hired a tow company to come out way early in the morning and take it, without asking me to move it, or posting any "no parking" signs, or anything... just up and had it towed and told the towing company that it had been there for four years. I can prove that it hadn't even been in my posession for more than a couple months. So can I fight this?
Why do you think you're allowed to keep a car parked there for 2 months?
 

Slanter

Junior Member
people park in this alley all the time

And I don't believe anyone owns the alley. Its just an alleyway between the houses on one side of the block, and some businesses on the other side. Pretty sure the alley is city owned.

and yes, the tabs were current. No insurance, since it had just changed hands and wasn't being driven at the tie.
 
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JustAPal00

Senior Member
You need to find out if the alley is privately owned or owned by the town/city. If it's a private alley then it can be towed. If it's a public alley(owned by the town/city), then barring a parking restriction in the alley it should be fine to park there as long as the tags are valid. However just because the sticker isn't expired doesn't mean the tags are valid. Washington may require proof of insurance or require you to remove the tags. Was the title work done? Were the tags in your name?
 

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