Property owner claims company towed trucks off lot without permission

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 investigated claims from a property owner who said a tow company towed a truck off his lot without permission.

Keith Burgess is a truck driver and told us he parked his semitrailer in the vacant lot off Statesville Avenue in north Charlotte for the weekend.

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"I can't explain how it made me feel,” said Burgess.

He said there were zero warning signs about towing and he and other drivers had parked there before with no problems.

"I'd been parking here eight-nine months,” Burgess said. "Monday, when I got up to leave, my truck was gone,” he said.

Burgess said over the weekend, the tow company PCR Recovery posted tow warning signs in the lot and charged him about $6,000 to get his truck back.

The owner of the lot told Channel 9 they never gave PCR permission to post the signs, or to tow there.

“If they don't have a contract with that lot owner, to me they stole that guys' truck,” said BBB President Tom Bartholomew.

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The company has an F rating with the BBB.

“This is one of 11 people who've complained to us about this company,” said Bartholomew.  “We've never received a response from them so we don't know their side,” he said.

The company didn’t immediately respond when Channel 9 asked for a statement Friday.

Police said they were investigating Burgess’ complaint and one other.

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"That was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” said Burgess. “Give these people your money when you know you didn't do anything wrong,” he said.

The lot owner said the tow company presented a fraudulent contract to CMPD officers. Officers have not confirmed that. It also said it is cooperating with the CMPD investigation.

In the meantime, Burgess has filed a civil lawsuit. He said he wants his money back, as well as lost wages.

Cox Media Group