Of course a property owner has the right to prevent people from abusing his parking spaces, but there is also such a thing as preying on the innocent (or at least ignorant). I parked in the back lot of the University Mall on Braddock, left for 30 minutes to get a friend, returned and ate at Domino's, then bought some groceries at Giant and hung around to do some work at the cafe.
When i checked for my van it had been towed! I had to pay $125 to get it out of Henry's lot. Both these vultures and Dave Riddenbach, the county employee who deals with towing complaints, said it was my fault. If you step off the property, even for a minute, you are considered a non-customer. Have you ever heard of this happening at a Wal Mart or Target? Of course not.
What is most peevish about this mess is that someone (a Henry's employee?) must have been watching me park and cross the street, because the vehicle was towed very soon after I left it. Whoever this creep is could have just got off his duff and walked up to me, warning me what was going to happen if I left the vehicle there. But instead he just watched me leave and then pounced on the defenseless vehicle. (yeah, I know "not my job", etc). I could never be a tow truck operator. I have too much compassion.
The Univeristy Mall shopping center has signs in the front warning that "illegally" parked cars will be towed (but no details on how long you have before it happens). Yet there is NOTHING in the back parking lot to warn anyone parking there. Someone could easily drive right into the back lot without seeing any distinct warnings. That's what happened to me. If the real goal of this process was to prevent illegal parking, the property owner would put up more signs, not hire Henry's to sit there waitng for someone to slip up.
The property owner is at fault for not posting proper signsHenry's is at fault for behaving like pirates, sitting at the parking lot and hoping people step off the property so they can tow them. Fairfax County is at fault for letting this nonesense go on. The government interjects itself into every other area of our lives, but when we actually need them, they're absent, and even side with the scam artists.
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