Residents upset about company towing cars from homes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Better Busines Bureau told Channel 9 it is getting more complaints about tow companies towing cars from people’s homes.

"It seems like they're just ready and waiting to take your car, and they know that we live there,” said resident Navondra Cooper.

She said a tow company took her car from her own South End apartment twice this year, and she had to pay hundreds of dollars to get it back.

She said both times her parking decal fell off of her rearview mirror onto the floor.

"Everyone wants to make money, I get it," Cooper said. "At the same time, we pay for these cars, we pay to live there. It's not like we're squatting."

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Channel 9 looked into the company that towed Cooper's car, SL Recovery.

We learned it has an F Rating with the BBB and 29 complaints against it. Some of them were similar to Cooper’s.

Channel 9 went to the company and the manager showed us pictures of Cooper’s car without a decal.

He said he has an agreement with her apartment complex to tow cars that don’t display the decal and the F Rating with the BBB is due to angry people who are just not happy about being towed.

[ALSO READ: Channel 9 helps mom after her car was damaged by towing company]

However, Cooper said tow companies are taking advantage of tenants.

"I'd also like to see tow truck companies be able to have a list of tags from people who live in the apartment complexes, so they can see this person actually does live there, so they don't waste your time towing cars when you live there," she said.

Cooper said she also wants the city or state to set a cap on the amount towing companies can charge in situations where people's care are being towed from their homes.

Cox Media Group