PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A Center City couple says their car was towed after a tree service contractor moved it to a no-parking zone without their knowledge, setting off a two-week effort to figure out what happened.
“The car was gone. Just missing,” Taylor said.
Relatively new to the city, Annie Taylor and her husband heard the horror stories of cars vanishing due to the city’s courtesy towing system.
They decided to put an AirTag tracker in their vehicle, which, on March 7, led them to an impound lot where it had been towed by the PPA. Once there, Taylor’s husband was told their car was parked illegally on the 1000 block of Clinton Street.
“They showed him a photo, and his car was actually parked on this side of the street instead of the correct side, which made no sense because we did not move it to this side of the street,” Taylor said.
After reviewing neighborhood camera footage and making calls, the couple learned that Jimmy’s Tree and Landscape Contractors had been cutting down a tree on the block the day before, on March 6.
Images from neighborhood cameras show workers using dollies to push the car across the street into a no-parking zone. The company’s owner told Action News they sometimes move cars themselves to avoid calling the PPA to tow vehicles out of their way.
In this case, Taylor and her husband did not realize the car had been moved, and it was towed from the illegal spot.
The owner told Action News that temporary no-parking signs had been posted 48 hours in advance. Taylor’s husband said he checked for signs on March 5, the day before the work was done, and did not see any.
The company agreed to pay the couple’s $175 impound fee.
“So, honestly, all things considered… the company was actually the most helpful people of them all, and it’s great that they were able to do that, and I don’t intend to push anything else with them,” Taylor said.
The couple says their car was damaged at some point. They plan to file a claim with the PPA.
“The bottom of the car, like on the passenger side, the plastic piece that covers all the wires and near the tire cover was just ripped off and dragging on the ground,” Taylor said.
The PPA declined to comment. The city, including the Parks and Recreation Department, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
A federal lawsuit settlement may soon change how courtesy towing is handled in Philadelphia. Under the agreement, contractors would be required to place stickers on vehicles moved into illegal spots so PPA agents know not to ticket or tow them. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval before it takes effect.
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