statement<\/a> before the event that its preparations included \u201clayered security perimeters\u201d and \u201ctraffic management plans … throughout the Hollywood area.\u201d<\/p>\nThis meant temporary tow-away signs warning drivers to \u201cnot stop\u201d from 6 a.m. to midnight Sunday, according to signage photographed in the area. <\/p>\n
Transportation officials said such signs are posted at least 48 hours in advance. But residents The Times spoke with said they did not notice the signs before leaving their vehicles parked overnight, then awoke to the nasty surprise of an empty street.<\/p>\n
According to Crispi, street parking is heavily relied on in the neighborhood because many apartment buildings do not have enough parking for tenants.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone around here parks on the street,\u201d they said. \u201cThere\u2019s just not enough parking for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weekend parking habits may have contributed to the number of cars towed, Crispi added: \u201cIt\u2019s the weekend, so a lot of people around here just park their cars in the same spot for the weekend and leave them there.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Hollywood resident\u2019s Instagram post, social media users were divided in their opinions, with some saying the city of Los Angeles should provide free alternate parking options for affected residents and others saying that Hollywood residents should have anticipated such restrictions given their proximity to events such as the Oscars. <\/p>\n
After their roommate\u2019s car was towed, Crispi accompanied her to retrieve it from Hollywood Tow Service, where they said the lot appeared unusually busy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said they haven\u2019t seen that many people there in one day,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
A rate board posted at Hollywood Tow Service shows a $220 towing fee for vehicles in the city of Los Angeles, along with a $115 city vehicle release fee, plus daily storage costs of $18 to $94 depending on vehicle type.<\/p>\n
Hollywood Tow provides impound services on behalf of the city of Los Angeles. <\/p>\n
\u201cDecisions regarding parking restrictions, enforcement activity, and which vehicles are impounded for special events are made by the City,\u201d a spokesperson for Hollywood Tow said in a statement to The Times. <\/p>\n
Crispi said they believed many residents were unaware their cars were at risk of being towed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew people in this area didn\u2019t know they were going to get towed because this lot was empty,\u201d they said, pointing to a nearby parking lot on Wilcox. \u201cIf people knew beforehand, they would\u2019ve parked their cars here.\u201d <\/p>\n
Another resident, Chris Bott, questioned why the streets farther from the main Oscars venue were included in the enforcement area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re blocks from the Dolby Theatre,\u201d Bott said. \u201cWhy is it happening here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Bott said he saw similar towing activity at the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw someone\u2019s car actively get pulled from the side of the street,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The office of City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Mart\u00ednez, whose district includes Hollywood, said it could not comment but was looking into the matter.<\/p>\n
The city Department of Transportation said in a statement that temporary parking restrictions were posted in advance as part of preparations for the Academy Awards.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City issues permits for major events that require road closures and LADOT posts temporary no parking signs a minimum of 48 hours in advance,\u201d LADOT said. \u201cFor the 2026 Academy Awards, LADOT posted signs to restrict parking on certain days to facilitate both event setup and for the awards ceremony,\u201d<\/p>\n
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