Breann Robinson/The Hub@TTU
Signs signaling the consequences of parking in the wrong place or for too long are a common sight around Lubbock, especially near Texas Tech University.
The entities behind these red-and-white signs are businesses such as Red Raider Wrecker & Towing, Lubbock Wrecker, Cantu Towing and RP’s Heavy Duty Towing.
Tech students are targeted by local towing companies more than any other group in Lubbock, said Matthew Johnson, a representative for Texas Towing Compliance.
Joni Yardley, owner of RP’s Heavy Duty Towing Inc., said getting one’s vehicle towed is a blessing in disguise.
“To me, it’s better to get towed than get a DWI or kill somebody,” Yardley said.
Chad Crawford, a senior accounting major at Tech, said he saw no blessing when his truck was towed and he had to pay $226.55 to RP’s Heavy Duty Towing.
He already had a drinking-and-driving charge on his record, so he thought leaving his car overnight in the parking lot behind Chimy’s would be better than driving drunk and putting innocent lives at risk.
“I thought I was taking the responsible route, but it didn’t work out that way,” Crawford said.
Breann Robinson/The Hub@TTU
Lubbock is ranked No. 1 nationally in deaths caused by driving under the influence, according to a previous article by The Hub@TTU.
Abel Rocha, an employee of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, said the restaurant rarely calls for a tow truck because the customers are mostly college students trying to have a good time.
“We like to give our guests the benefit of the doubt,” Rocha said. “We’d rather you leave your car here than drink and drive.”
Although Fuzzy’s does not tow, limited parking at the eatery can sometimes lead to college students and other customers parking across the street at the Lubbock Women’s Club.
The club, along with many restaurants along Broadway and University Avenue — including Chimy’s and Hurricane Grill & Wings — tow vehicles that belong to non-customers and that have been left overnight.
Check out this story map to see where you can park around Texas Tech without fear of being towed.
Restaurant’s such as Chili’s and Ruby Tequila’s also tow, but only from locations close to the university, according to restaurant managers. Tow truck companies are asked to tow all cars left in the Chili’s parking lot, located across from the Jones AT&T Stadium, after 12:30 a.m.
In contrast, Fast Eddie’s, located near 74th and University Avenue, Triple J Chop House & Brew Co , located in the Depot District, and Cricket’s Grill & Draft House and Local Bar and Grill on Broadway Avenue refuse to tow customers who leave their cars in designated parking lots late at night.
Eli, an employee at Lubbock Wrecker who would not reveal his last name or the number of vehicles towed on an average Saturday night in Lubbock, said towing is a “service” to businesses that cannot be compensated.
A Texas public information request filed by The Hub@TTU with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, or TDLR, found several complaints filed against towing companies in Lubbock. These include RP’s Heavy Duty Towing, Lubbock Wrecker, Red Raider Wrecker and Cantu Towing.
The complaints reflect mostly concerns about illegal tows or no visible towing signs.
For example: “I asked Cantu Towing not to tow my vehicle prior to them picking it up. The driver physically removed me from being able to take my vehicle,” wrote Ciara McBane in a complaint to the TDLR.
According to the TDLR website, “If you return to your car and it is being hooked-up to a tow truck but IT IS NOT FULLY hooked up and ready for towing, you can keep your car WITHOUT paying a CHARGE.”
If the vehicle is fully hooked up, but has not yet been taken out of the parking lot, the owner of the vehicle must pay nothing more than a drop fee to get the vehicle back.
Laurie Appling said her vehicle was towed several times around University Avenue during her time as an undergraduate student at Texas Tech. She said her main frustration with towing in Lubbock is that vehicles are being towed from vacant lots after restaurants have already closed.
“It’s unnecessary,” Appling said. “It’s not like anyone needed that spot. Why did you have to ruin my night?”
About Breann Robinson
The tow companies are just doing their jobs. It’s who owns the parking lot that wants your vehicle towed. You could be taking up spots for customers then or if your leaving it over night the store might have customers earlier then you can remove it. So of the place don’t like the vandalism or trash left in their parking lots after people park there and start drinking. Others just don’t want anyone parking their except for who is allowed and those businesses have that right. So it’s not really the towing companies fault all the time.
The tow companies are just stealing vehicles for living, while the Lubbock Police Department looks the other way. It’s always both the tow company and the parking facility owner/operator who is at fault in illegal towing. The vile criminals at Red Raider Wrecker have been stealing vehicles since September 2013 as not one of their tow sign legal, the statute of limitations to recover after being towed without your consent is two years of the date of tow or charged a drop fee. That $293.30 these crooks are stealing from college students equals $1800 in your pocket when the Small Claims Court Lawsuit is filed for statutory violations, and you don’t have to prove negligence on behalf of the tow company or parking facility to recover.
We encourage college fraternities to consider raising money by parking your vehicles at parking lots that are illegal to tow from to turn that investment into cash. Example: Park 30 vehicles at a Red Raider Wrecker posted parking lot, allow your vehicle to be towed and stay in storage for 30 days, pay $992.80 equals $3978.40 times 30 vehicles equals a total of $119,352.00 for your college fraternity. It’s like small time investing with a high yield when you request a Jury Trial instead of a Judge with Black Robe Disease rendering the verdict and damages.
You have to hit the predatory tow companies where it hurts the most, going after their accounts, as it’s highly unlikely a property owner who owns the parking lot that is on the tax rolls for $2M is going to lose it with a court ordered judgement due to the actions of their tow company and some employee who is taking an under the table kickback.
Subscribe to Texas Towing Compliance, as we educate everyone on how to prevail in court and understand your rights when dealing with dishonest tow truck operators and vehicle storage facility employees who commit identity theft after obtaining your personal information.
Under no circumstance should EVER sign any documents after payment has been submitted at a vehicle storage facility that your vehicle is towed to.
I can definitely see both sides of the argument here.
I would have to say that it doesn’t make me trucking mad! I do see the other side of the argument. I try not to take any calls from business owners made about someone parking in their spots. Especially if it’s close to a bar. Good article!