I also highly recommend the better business bureau.  Takes just a few minutes 
to fill out the form online and they once helped me settle a 10-month long 
issue with Sprint.  As soon as I involved them, issue gone!

Sorry this happened to you. 
Melissa

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 9, 2014, at 11:08 AM, B Andersen <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> This is not new. They have been doing things like this for more than a decade.
> 
> They once towed my car from a legally parked space and I had to take them to 
> small claims court to get the money back.
> 
> BGA
> 
>> On Tue, Dec 9, 2014 at 10:36 AM, Linda Lee <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Awful!  Definitely fight this!
>> 
>> A friend of mine lives at 46th & Walnut and says a tow truck guy hangs out 
>> at that intersection all day, just waiting for someone to park 'illegally,' 
>> then hauls their vehicle away.  I suspect this happens all over the city...  
>> -L
>> 
>> 
>>> From: Veronika Lambert <[email protected]>
>>> Date: December 9, 2014 9:47:06 AM EST
>>> To: Clark Park Tot Lot <[email protected]>
>>> Subject: Possible scam/fraud in neighborhood - Lew Blum Towing - Beware!
>>> Dear neighbors,
>>> 
>>> One of our renters who lives on 45th & Pine recently moved here from 
>>> Washington State for a research position at Penn and had a very unpleasant 
>>> experience with Lew Blum Towing. She hasn't been able to change her license 
>>> and plates to PA yet, so isn't eligible for a permit and parks where 
>>> legally possible. 
>>> 
>>> I know it might seem long to read, but please take a moment.
>>> 
>>> I never heard of this happening before, but wanted to share with everyone 
>>> so you are aware; especially during the holidays with out-of-town guests. 
>>> It may be that the towing company is only targeting non-PA plates, but it's 
>>> not certain. Posts online suggest they are not the most 
>>> upstanding/reputable company, which is sad considering their signs are 
>>> posted all around the neighborhood. Perhaps we should keep an eye on them 
>>> and reconsider giving them business.
>>> 
>>> The following was written by Lisa and sent to the President of Spruce Hill. 
>>> I also suggested she send it to UCD. If anyone has any other suggestions 
>>> how to possibly get her money refunded and more importantly to stop 
>>> something like this from happening again, please let us know. (Lisa is cc'd 
>>> on this email).
>>> 
>>> "On Tuesday, my boyfriend parked my car on Osage, near 46th St, where it is 
>>> legal to park without a permit. I do not drive the car to work, so it 
>>> wasn't until Saturday that I realized the car was missing.  I called the 
>>> police to tell them it was stolen.  They came to my house, and within a few 
>>> minutes had gotten word that the car had been towed.  They told me they 
>>> couldn't tell me why it had been towed, just gave me the address of where 
>>> to get it: Lew Blum Towing.  When I went to get it, I paid nearly $300 
>>> ($175 for the tow, $100 for 4 days of storage, and $20 for a nondescript 
>>> charge). In cash because they refused my credit card. When I received the 
>>> 'paperwork' from them, it said my car had been towed from an address in Old 
>>> City.  I've never even been to Old City! When I told them there must be a 
>>> mistake and asked for photos, they produced printed photographs of my car 
>>> at a location I do not recognize.  In the photo, there are HUGE signs 
>>> saying it is a tow zone. Not wanting to argue because the place is really 
>>> scary, I left with my car.  There is no sign my car had been stolen and 
>>> left at that location-- the car is completely fine-- no sign of break-in, 
>>> dashboard, radio, ignition all fine, full tank of gas in the car, money 
>>> still in the glove box for tolls, everything intact just as I had left it.
>>> 
>>> What I am saying is they towed my car from a legal spot, took photos of it 
>>> somewhere illegal, and required me to pay to get it back. I'm not a lawyer, 
>>> but basically, that's at least stolen vehicle, fraud, and extortion.
>>> 
>>> I called the police when I came home. A very sympathetic policeman took my 
>>> story down and said he would personally make sure a detective got the 
>>> information.  He could not promise I would hear from the detective, I'm not 
>>> even entirely sure it got written up as an actual report.  He mentioned 
>>> that tow trucks in the city are 'out of control' and that the police have 
>>> been told if they see tow trucks towing from the city streets to stop them 
>>> and ask them to produce paperwork.  Right now, there is no law saying there 
>>> needs to be a ticket from an officer for the them to tow.  They can just 
>>> take it.  He also said I may have been targeted because I currently still 
>>> have out-of-state plates".
>>> 
>>> I suggested that Lisa contact the owner of Lew Blum towing, but she's a bit 
>>> shaken-up by the whole experience and rather not at this time. She plans to 
>>> write to James Keeney, a council member who seems to care about this issue, 
>>> and the state attorney general. 
>>> 
>>> It's really a shame that things like this happen; especially to someone who 
>>> is new to the neighborhood. 
>>> 
>>> Thank you for reading and for any suggestions how to help stop this from 
>>> happening again.
>>> 
>>> Kind regards,
>>> Veronika
>> 
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