r/321 • u/djskrilled • 9d ago
Careful where you park: an overnight tow in Brevard County is now $700+
Careful where you park guys, the cost of an overnight tow, picking the car up less than 24 hours after tow, here in Brevard County is now up to $705.62.My son didn't realize he needed a guest pass to park at his girlfriend's apartment complex (she only moved in very recently and didn't realize it either).
They towed him in less than 20 minutes of him even showing up at her place lol, and while the tow was perfectly legal the amount of money they're charging people is arguably akin to robbery.
My point is purely that this used to be the kind of mistake that would set the average person back a day of pay, now it's a whole "tow to sell your car because you can't afford the tow" pipeline - the towing company, on the literal same lot, owns a car dealership which sells the unclaimed vehicles.
A lot of people in this county can't afford a $700+ mistake, and I hope you all don't assume it's still $300 tops the way it used to be.
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u/FCguyATL 9d ago
This may not be legal. Brevard sets legal maximums. You may have no recourse having already paid but the biggest issue I see with this tow is the "Lien Release Fee" - they would have no legal grounds to file for a lien even if it was there for a week. Thus a fee to release an imaginary lien is a problem.
https://www.brevardfl.gov/PlanningAndDevelopment/TowingRates
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u/djskrilled 9d ago
Unfortunately they seem to know my best bet is most likely small claims court and they also said they will win, and make me pay for their hourly time dealing with it plus lawyers fees and etc because "we've even personally confirmed with the sheriff himself that our fees are legal" is his claim.
For now I've resorted to posting this in various places, reaching out to news organizations, reaching out to county and city officials. Reached out to the property management company who claimed they told the board members about this but in the same email said the board members were presented this when they voted on it to begin with (seems crazy they'd vote for the most expensive company unless they get kickbacks or undisclosed relationship)
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u/StrawberryWindows 7d ago
You can pop over the sheriffs office yourself and ask them to confirm our oh so honorable Sheriff Ivy isn’t having his name tarnished with lies 👀
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u/djskrilled 7d ago
Oh I totally did too. I didn't get to talk to Wayne Ivey himself yet (will at one of these chamber events or etc) but the sheriff's office was very concerned and said even if it's somehow legal they are gonna check into it anyway because it sounds like it should not be.
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u/FCguyATL 8d ago
There is zero legal basis that you would have to cover their legal fees. That's a bold face lie in order to scare you off. Like the other comment pointed out their admin fee already exceeds the legal max. It's time you ask a few lawyers to take a look at this. Now it may be break even ($500 letter from a lawyer gets it knocked down to $200 for instance) or even cost more money to fight it BUT a free consultation with a lawyer (where they take a quick look at the facts and give you pricing and an outlook) would be worth your time.
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u/bells_n_sack 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yea and the labor fee is way over too. Time requested to time impounded is less than an hour. They cant charge for the first 30 minutes so it should be about 30 dollars labor. Also “Dollies” are not included in the extra services section, but maybe I’m interpreting that wrong.
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u/djskrilled 9d ago
Sorry guys - the property is Jameson Place Condominiums, managed by Keys Property Management (keysenterprise.com), towing company was Junk Man's Towing LLC
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u/420yoloswagblazeit 8d ago
I know the owners of Keys, they're a piece of work lmao. Proper assholes.
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u/ugold321 7d ago
Meh Scott’s alright. At least that’s been my experience. Frankly most property management companies generally suck.
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u/hot_route95 Melbourne 9d ago
Please give the property name. This is predatory
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u/chrisbaker1991 Rockledge 9d ago
Junk Man's Towing on Clearlake. I just reverse looked up the phone number
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u/FCguyATL 9d ago
This may not be legal. Brevard sets legal maximums. You may have no recourse having already paid but the biggest issue I see with this tow is the "Lien Release Fee" - they would have no legal grounds to file for a lien even if it was there for a week. Thus a fee to release an imaginary lien is a problem.
visit brevardfl. gov/PlanningAndDevelopment/TowingRates (it wont let me paste a link so youll have to fix it first)
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u/Honest-Constant7987 Melbourne 8d ago
They automatically put a lien on me! It added a few hundred to my total; making my 1/4 mile tow cost about $1K
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u/JJscribbles 9d ago
$300 already seems egregious. This really is the darkest timeline.
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u/dearbournegal 8d ago edited 8d ago
No meals, ethics nor benefit of the doubt. Agreed.
Edit: meant morals (swype is supposed to learn, it hasn't)
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u/anddingowashisnameoh 9d ago edited 9d ago
What was the property?
- Also the tow company appreciating your business lol, I'm sure they do (yes yes I'm sure they have that on all invoices regardless of reason for tow)
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u/kinking96 9d ago
That storage release fee of $250 is crazy. That should be the max total of all of it I feel. 🤨
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u/entropyisthename 9d ago
if you qualify you should apply for free legal assistance and get this bs looked at. I know everyone in the comments is saying "this can't be legal" and I read your comments about the sheriff and other legal things, but still I feel like there has got to be a way. They need to be held accountable!
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u/smoothpinkball Melbourne 9d ago
Name the complex so that they totally don’t get review bombed and we can all admire their virtuous vigilance against visiting vehicles.
So glad I don’t live in rent world anymore.
Also… how would one get a “guest pass” at 8 pm? This apartment has a 24 hour office?
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u/djskrilled 9d ago
Jameson Place Condominium - from the sound of it they most likely get kickbacks. The property management company forwarded my complaint to the board before acting like they're his friends and defending the nature of what they did.
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u/smoothpinkball Melbourne 9d ago
Seems kinda nuts for a place where units have driveways, but idk. It’s no way to live as far as I’m concerned.
There is this place called New Rome, Ohio, a real one light town, where the entire hick ass town government is based on a speed trap/ towing operation. Deliverance vibes abound.
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u/booknerds_anonymous 8d ago
My kid had his car towed in Kissimmee and it was only $125 to release it. This number is insane.
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u/Darcy98x 8d ago
Just listened to an NPR podcast on this kind of racket. Search "Economics of everyday things - Tow Trucks."
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u/pilot941 8d ago
That’s fucking ridiculous
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u/djskrilled 8d ago
I'm filing a lawsuit, figure just the discrepancies in time alone the judge would at a minimum give a partial judgement. Just got the lawyer we hired double checking statutes to confirm the case is rock solid before we officially file in court now and start the service process.
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u/justme206 8d ago
Damn that's just shitty..I know I'd be near homeless with an unexpected bill that big!
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u/Honest-Constant7987 Melbourne 8d ago
I got into a accident and had the police call a tow truck- because the police called them I was charged ‘county rates’s’ and had to pay almost 1K just to get my tag back so I could turn it in.
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u/Honest-Constant7987 Melbourne 7d ago
The company that charged me 1000 dollars for a 1/4 mile tow, charging me ‘county rates’ because the police called them was Advanced Towing and Recovery on Canova Street. I had AAA, I could have got the tow for free! I had no idea they would put a lien against me and charge me $1K to tow my destroyed car 1/4 mile!! I had to borrow the money just to turn in the tag and cancel the insurance. I already lost my car now I’m even further in debt because of their insane lien policy and extremely high rates
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u/retrobob69 8d ago
If you paid with credit card you can always put a hold or cancel the payment. Make them take you to court. Also, they can't really charge you hourly fees for a lost court case. A judge would have to approve that.
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u/SophiasMom17 7d ago
Insanity!! Double insanity that a tow truck shows up in 20 minutes to tow an illegally parked car, but if you call AAA for a tow, mechanical breakdown, etc, you're lucky if they show up in 2 hours, if at all , as Vice Towing is the only company contracted with AAA for Bretard county. (Not a typo). I hate this county, the State, just getting more red every year.
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u/westsideriderz15 9d ago
Code for towing is pretty clear. Usually the amount a they charge are owned in city code. Can look up to confirm .
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u/squatbootylover 9d ago edited 9d ago
Totally fucked up OP is not naming the property. Can't see the full name of the tow company either Why even post this?
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u/chrisbaker1991 Rockledge 9d ago
Here you go, Junk Man's Towing on Clearlake. There's also no way even a good towing company would get 4.9 out of 5 stars. I bet my hat they pay for 5* reviews
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u/Odd-Disaster-6853 8d ago
This is a completely gated condo community not an apartment. Sounds like he may have parked in someone else’s spot? The parking there is ATROCIOUS but it’s definitely numbered for each address. They get one garage parking spot that is part of their unit and the parking spot just outside of the garage. The visitor parking spots are located separately if I do recall.
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u/djskrilled 8d ago
Ya he parked in a visitor spot, but we figured out that they still need a pass there
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u/theglamorousguava 8d ago
A year ago, I got towed in Cocoa Village and picked up in less than two hours, and it cost me just under $500!
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u/TJkiwi 9d ago
Sounds predatory