In a classic case of instant karma, a tow truck scammer met their match after attempting to victimize the wrong person, and the subsequent consequences were nothing short of unfortunate. The scammer, who had been preying on gullible drivers, chose to cross paths with a remarkably creative victim who would not be taken advantage of.
He Was Just Visiting His Girlfriend at Her Townhouse When It All Unfolded
A man took to an online forum to share his tale of petty revenge after he was scammed by a serial tow truck fraudster who targeted his girlfriend’s neighborhood.
“The townhouse is at the neighborhood’s entrance, and not far from it is a sign warning of cars being towed. On the sign was the name and number of the towing service.”
There Weren’t Any No Parking Signs Outside Her Home
In the section of this subdivision with the townhomes, there are a few clearly designated no parking zones, but no such designation out in front of her townhome where the man was parked.
“About 8:30 that evening, while we were upstairs watching TV, I saw some lights flashing through the window and then a knock on the front door.”
He’d Already Hooked the Car to the Truck
When the man looked out, he saw his car hooked up to a tow truck with the driver just standing there waiting for him to come down.
“He had pulled up, hooked up my car, and then turned on his lights rather than pulling into the neighborhood with his lights on.”
No One Had Been Made Aware of the Rules
A heated stand-off occurred when the OP protested the towing of his car. “He informed me that according to HOA rules, the spaces in front of all townhomes were no parking zones, even if they weren’t marked as such.
I found out later that this was true, although my girlfriend was never aware of such a rule.”
This Was When the Tow Truck Driver Delivered His Scam
While the tow truck driver had the right to remove the car, he went down the illegal route for a quick buck.
“He then offered to drop my car if I paid a $90 drop fee. This was his schtick, collecting drop fees without actually having to tow a car.”
He’d Already Hit Numerous Homes in the Area With the Same Scam
As it turned out, the tow truck driver had made quite a habit of delivering this scam, which to many drivers, seemed perfectly legit.
“In the short three weeks that he had the contract for this subdivision, he had already hit numerous homes in the neighborhood with this scam.”
Then He Made a Mistake
“In his attempt to be the ‘good guy’ just doing his job, he offers to write on the ticket that he towed the car to the townhouse from a nearby interstate instead of writing it up as a drop fee for illegal parking. This way, according to him, I could turn it into my auto insurance to get them to cover it. That way, I could get my money back.”
It Seemed Like the Tow Truck Driver Had Cut Him Some Slack
Although annoyed with the situation, the OP thought he’d caught a break by paying this on-the-spot fee, which he could supposedly claim back.
“Still, the situation just eats at you, and it’s hard to let it go in the moment, even if eventually you are getting your money back.”
The Next Part of the Story Involves a Wealthy Landowner Who Developed His Family’s 300-acre Farm to Create This Subdivision
This landowner lives in a more “affluent and elite” subdivision area and is also the head of the local HOA, which had created these confusing parking rules.
“Let it suffice to say that this HOA and the idiot running it are not much loved, and what took place between this towing company and me was a small victory over them also.”
He Wanted Revenge
The next morning the OP was still miffed by the incident before but had also begun to smell a rat.
“I called my sister-in-law, who owns an auto insurance company. I wanted to confirm my suspicion that the way this tow truck driver wrote out his tickets constituted insurance fraud.”
She Confirmed That It Was Insurance Fraud
“I then called up the towing company and told them that if they did not give me a full refund that I would be turning them in for insurance fraud. Fifteen minutes after I made that phone call, the tow truck driver that so kindly offered to drop my car for $90 dollars showed up at the townhouse with cash to give me a full refund.”
He Sat Back and Watched the Trucker Give Back All the Money He’d Scammed Everyone Out of
“He then went to several other homes on that street and gave refunds to other people he had extorted in the three weeks that he had the contract for that subdivision. I then watched as he drove down to the end of the street, the subdivision’s entrance, got out, and removed the sign with the tow company’s name and number.”
His Towing Contract With the HOA Was Canceled
When word got around what had happened, the HOA and the rogue tow trucker severed ties, and within six months, they found a new company, but he wasn’t the only one to blame.
“The HOA thought it unsightly to have cars parked at the curb when they drove by. That’s it, they simply didn’t like the aesthetics, and their sensibilities took precedence over the rights of the lesser inhabitants of his fiefdom.”
He Could Have Taken His Revenge Scheme Much Further
“Had I actually lived in that neighborhood, I think I would have taken more drastic measures, including getting this tow company’s license revoked and maybe even jail time for the truck driver, not to mention creating a bigger legal headache for the HOA.”
She’s Moved On
The OP’s girlfriend no longer lives in that area, with its tyrannical HOA breathing down everyone’s necks.
“She found a new home in a different neighborhood with an HOA that operates with an actual bare minimum of interference with residents and is very pleased with how it is run.
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