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Posted by: brer Apr 26 2007, 03:25 PM

I am wondering if anyone here knows the law regarding a tow truck driver entering a vehicle, opening the hood and interfere with a cars drivetrain in order to tow it away.


I confronted a tow truck driver and meter maid about this, driver was under the hood of a new Audi with tools, and they stonewalled me and threatened me with an Interference citation when I started taking photos with my camera phone.

The tow truck drivers reaction when I pulled my camera was serious panic even though I had no intention of pursuing anything, just hate when officials wont address public inquiries into their actions.

So whats the deal here in the golden state, can they legally tamper with your car?

(it was not my car FYI)

Posted by: highways Apr 26 2007, 03:28 PM

This should be interesting. I don't know for sure... but my gut says no. Since a car is considered to be property like a house- it cannot be entered without a warrant. They can look in the windows... but going inside requires consent or a judge as far as I know.

Posted by: So.Cal.914 Apr 26 2007, 03:32 PM

Here in Cali they get away with, what they get away with. If they are repoing your

car they get away with just about anything. Someone I knew years back did it

for a living, great stories.

Posted by: brer Apr 26 2007, 04:07 PM

The car had a citation and a big sticker saying car will be towed for unpaid parking tickets. The maid had just cited it and he had the cable connected underneath.

I walked by on the way to the store and he was in the engine compartment. I came out of the store after shopping and he was still in the engine compartment messing with it. Thats when I thought something was worth taking a look see at.

Technically it was being impounded under the authority of the City, which is why they threw up the Interfering warning. The Maid actually kept moving around trying to stand in front of my camera.... amusing does not even begin to describe the look of her dodging around in front of me.

Posted by: John Apr 26 2007, 04:14 PM

Only if they don't get caught.

They don't get caught when they are hired by the local government and protected by officers of the "law".

Posted by: Paul Illick Apr 26 2007, 05:12 PM

Four wheel drive cars can't be towed normally, so Audi and Subaru (and probably other's, but I don't know) have a provision to deactivate their systems for towing. That's probably what he was doing.

Do you have photos of her dancing? That might be cool to see.

Posted by: Headrage Apr 26 2007, 05:20 PM

Posted by: brer Apr 26 2007, 05:20 PM

She was too close to the lens and they came out blurry.

Posted by: john rogers Apr 26 2007, 05:47 PM

I would call the guy on channel 51, Michael Turko and turn him loose on it. I hope you got the name of the towing company and of course detals like where it was, etc. There was just a big blow up about "fake" security people in strip malls calling in tow truck drivers to grab the cars as soon as the owner went into a store and they made a big mistake when they grabbed an lawyer's car. In the city of San Diego it is illegal to just grab a car like that and the only people that can ticket them are actual police. Did the parking Nazi have her scooter there, etc? Sounds like a rip off at work to me.

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Apr 26 2007, 06:22 PM

Where'd you hear that? It's patently false. This is the temporarily polite Cap'n speaking. Try not to get used to it, 'cause it won't last long .......... The Cap'n

Posted by: So.Cal.914 Apr 26 2007, 07:33 PM

Thats Ok were used to that here...right Andy?

Posted by: messix Apr 26 2007, 07:33 PM

it's likely a automatic car and he was trying to get at the shift linkage to put in neutral.
lazy P.O.S didn't want to break out the dolly.

Posted by: Paul Illick Apr 26 2007, 08:25 PM

Patently false? Too strong a words, Cap'n, at least for the Subaru. I didn't hear it, I read it in my car's owner's manual. Subaru requires you to tow automatic cars with all four wheels off the ground or on two wheels only for short distances with the center differential disengaged by pulling a plug out of a switch box under the hood. I just looked at Audi's owner's manual as well, to confirm what (my bad) I'd heard, and it probably wasn't to disable the AWD (on a Quattro), but to disable the anti-tow (a tilt sensor) theft deterrent.

Sorry, Cap'n, definitely don't want to test your patience.

Posted by: SirAndy Apr 26 2007, 10:03 PM

Andy

Posted by: brer Apr 26 2007, 11:30 PM

the look on his face said guilty.

the look on hers said....



I'll be back.

Posted by: brer Apr 26 2007, 11:50 PM

Parking Enforcement Officers in the City of San Diego are employees of the City of San Diego and not of the Chief of Police as far as I know. Which is why she never ordered me to leave or step back. If you interfere they can sting ya, but as far as I know they dont have the authority to tell you to do crapola.

Not even Citations for moving violations according to the Municipal Code. I think Mail Carriers have more authority actually.

Posted by: Andyrew Apr 27 2007, 12:03 AM

Audi's Quattro system is fully mechanical limited slip..(which is why it ROCKS!)

so.. they we
wernt disconnecting it...

Posted by: So.Cal.914 Apr 27 2007, 12:22 AM