"Courtesy tows" in Philadelphia leave some searching for their cars and paying fines
Picture this: You park your car in a legal spot, but when you come back later, it's gone. In Philadelphia, there's the possibility that it was "courtesy towed." That's when the city tows legally parked cars to make way for utility work or a special event, among other things.
A CBS News Philadelphia investigation found there's a big problem with this system — some people go weeks without knowing what happened to their car.
Aaron Cashman says he was shocked to find out his car had been towed to an impound lot in South Philly. He was notified thanks to an app on his phone that tracks his car's location.
Cashman said he has a Zone 4 parking permit, which gives him special access to some street parking in Center City. At the time, Cashman said his car had been legally parked on the street, so how did it end up in an impound lot a few months ago?
He believes his car was courtesy towed. Police, the PPA or a private tower hired by a company could be behind the tow.
Cashman said he's had his car courtesy towed at least five times over the last several years.
"I got on my bike and biked around and around and around, and couldn't find it," Cashman recalled of the first time this happened to him in 2016. He said he would usually call the city and police, and then reach out to towing companies.
Not once did someone have a record of his car.
Most times, he would find it days later parked somewhere outside Zone 4, with parking tickets on the windshield. Cashman said the Philadelphia Parking Authority would make him pay the tickets because he didn't have proof that he wasn't the one who illegally parked the car.
"There were a couple of times when we actually did think it was stolen," he said.
Cashman isn't alone. At least 30 other people are pursuing a class action lawsuit, filed in 2021, against the city for its courtesy tow practices.
"Our firm took this lawsuit with the goal and really the hope that the city would want to take some measures to fix this problem," attorney Elias Kohn said.
In a 2023 motion to dismiss, the city argued, "Given that their vehicles were, in fact, readily located, they cannot establish a harm attributable to the city." The judge denied that motion.
In an email to CBS News Philadelphia, a city spokesperson said, "We do not have a substantive comment on the pending litigation about relocation towing. The City recently filed an Answer and the case is moving forward into discovery."
The Streets Department told CBS News Philadelphia it doesn't keep data on courtesy tows because they are "performed by many different entities."
In October of last year, city council adopted a resolution to hold hearings to investigate courtesy towing. The resolution reads, "Philadelphia drivers have been frustrated with the bureaucratic nightmare of getting their vehicles back, with some viewing courtesy towing as little more than a money-making scheme."
It's been nearly six months since that resolution passed and a hearing still hasn't been scheduled.
What's the hold-up? To find out, CBS News Philadelphia asked all eight councilmembers who sponsored the resolution for an interview. They either canceled last minute, declined to speak on the matter, or never responded.
Councilmember Jeffrey Young, who introduced the proposal, said in an email that his office is still gathering information and meeting with stakeholders.
Councilman Mark Squilla did talk to us. He wasn't a sponsor but he is the vice chair of the Streets and Services Committee, which would hold the hearings. He's willing to look at ways the city can improve the courtesy towing system.
"The challenge is when they are towed, it's very complicated to find out where your car is. And I think we do have to streamline that," Squilla said.
According to the Streets Department, "Following a courtesy tow the local police district is notified of the vehicle's license plate number and new location," however, Kohn says he has clients who have never found their vehicle.
It's still not clear how Cashman's car ended up in the impound lot, but he was able to pay the fees and get his car out of the lot. He said he was stunned when he received a letter a few days later instructing him to pay all outstanding tickets before picking up his car. The letter says, "You must act or your vehicle will be auctioned."
Philadelphia Police said in a statement they keep a record of cars towed by police and the Parking Authority saying, "The problems usually arise when other departments or private contractors are doing work and use private tow companies to relocate vehicles."
If you suspect your car might have been courtesy towed, the Streets Department says the public should contact the police district where the vehicle was parked. A map of police districts is available on the police department's website.