[ApS]

Originally Posted by Sue Doe-Nym

Speaking for myself, I am waiting with baited breath for chapter 2 in this scenario. Don’t keep us in suspense!

I phoned the Volusia County Sheriff's Office this morning. Police don't have an "automatic" mandate for ordering vehicles towed from private property.

Ormand Beach Days Inn first registered me to a smokers' room with a damaged door and a chirping smoke alarm. Since the alarm was 110-volts, and hard-wired to the ceiling (and out of easy reach) I opted to change rooms and was directed to park on the opposite side of the motel. (Where I unloaded from the inconvenient end).

The new room, continuing with smoking odors and damaged lock/door frame, was just OK--but towing might have been made even easier!

Ready to finally relax, I pressed a Styrofoam coffee cup to the hallway's ice machine--which promptly dropped its entire front door near my toes! (No ice container had been provided to the room).

As for expense, this Days Inn was somewhat more expensive than my usual stay in Ormond Beach. Others had charged a $100 deposit!

I blame Wyndham for their "coupon incentive" to stay at their large family of motels. :

Originally Posted by ITD

I've heard of apartment buildings, condos and others doing towing because of local ordinances regulating unregistered vehicles in lots. This is probably due mostly to residents flipping cars, filling up lots with projects making parking scarce, so I can agree with that.

What I have a big problem with is doing this at a business that has public parking and to a car that had not been left on the property longer than the customer was staying. That seems predatory to me and I wonder why you haven't shared the location of this place. I also think a few reviews in places like trip advisor, yelp, google plus Wyndham's social media sites would help to stop this practice.

Finally, get your registration fixed..... if there actually is a problem, if not, consider suing the towing company and the hotel.

I ran this problem by a Motel 6 registration desk during my stopover in Pennsylvania. They said Pennsylvania had abandoned the decal system.


Stolen annual decals have long been a problem in Florida, so I carry my current registration with my drivers license. Alas, nobody asked to confirm my ownership--they just quietly towed my vehicle.

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

Assuming you were parking in the Wyndham parking lot then I see no reason why the tow company (or Sheriff's Office) didn't first check with the front office prior to ordering a tow of a customers vehicle.....

Someone should be responsible for paying that tow bill and it shouldn't be you......

I agree, and should be contacting Ormond Beach PD "desk" first thing tomorrow. Say, where is an opinion from member "Mr. V"?

I hope I have more luck than with the Volusia Sheriff's Office. Their "telephone tree" was so labyrinthine, I resorted to 911, where I was casually patched-through to the towing company. (Who I can't really fault--excepting...).