BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- A Hoover man said his car was wrongfully towed from a Birmingham private parking lot.
Records obtained by CBS 42 show the man is not the only person that has faced the issue. Private lots all over downtown Birmingham use ParkMobile, an app that lets users pay for parking right from their phone.
Signs at Birmingham parking lots state that if you don’t pay, your vehicle will be impounded. Robert Winslett said he followed the rules but still had his vehicle towed.
Winslett was meeting up with some friends in downtown Birmingham. He said he knew he wouldn’t be parked for long but paid for parking until 2 a.m. to ensure he wouldn’t have any issues.
“I wanted to make sure I had ample parking time,” Winslett said.
Around 9 p.m., Winslett headed back to his car. He thought he left himself plenty of time to get back before his time ran out.
“We rounded the corner, and there was no truck," Winslett said. "I knew immediately I had been towed."
Parking Enforcement Systems towed Winslett's truck sometime before 9:21 p.m., nearly five hours before his parking ticket expired, Winslett said.
“I just said, 'Look, here’s the receipt,'" Winslett said. "... But ultimately, they were like, 'Look you got to pay the fee to get the truck out. You need to contact ParkMobile'"
Birmingham attorney Darius Crayton said if you find yourself in a situation like this, there are steps you should take.
“You need to get your car back. That’s the first thing,” Crayton said. “If it tells you need to go down and pay $160 to get your car back, unfortunately, that's what you got to do."
Your money isn’t necessarily gone. Crayton said its vital you keep documentation.
“Evidence is key when it comes to these sorts of cases if you have receipts of you showing where you paid for your parking -- if you have receipts of you showing where you paid for your towed car," Crayton said.
Contacting an attorney who specializes in predatory towing could help you get your money back.
“It’s worth it to get an attorney just because of that cost alone," Crayton said. "Now because of pain and suffering, or any sort of other out of pocket costs alone you may incur because of that car being towed, it may really be worth it."
CBS 42 reached out to ParkMobile. A spokesperson said the company does not discuss customers issues publicly but noted the company is not responsible for tickets, enforcement or towing.
CBS 42 obtained records showing Parking Enforcement Systems is a defendant in a class action lawsuit for predatory and illegal practices.