Please share. I've been watching A-1 towing tow cars out of this parking lot for years. They only watch the lot when A&M is having classes. They prey on A&M students. Get the word out. They make $200 every time they tow a car.

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/News-3-Investigates-Know-Before-Youre-Towed-292222021.html

Welcome to 11pm last night this morning.

http://texags.com/forums/35/topics/2602554

Thanks a lot! I am new here and just wanted to make people see the story.

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Thanks a lot! I am new here and just wanted to make people see the story.

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Just ribbing you, it is definitely good info to get out there!

From the comments:

If your vehicle has been tow away from a parking lot in Brazos county in the last 2 years, take a pic of the tow signs 99% of the signs are illegal.

Get your receipt & pics, contact TDLR Telephone: (512) 463-6599
Toll-Free (in Texas): (800) 803-9202
Fax: (512) 463-9468 email: CStowing@tdlr.texas.gov

OCCUPATIONS CODE TITLE 14.

Sec. 2308.404. CIVIL LIABILITY OF TOWING COMPANY...
(c) A towing company, booting company, or parking facility owner who intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly violates this chapter is liable to the owner or operator of the vehicle that is the subject of the violation for $1,000 plus three times the amount of fees assessed in the vehicle's removal, towing, storage, or booting.

Sec. 2308.405. CRIMINAL PENALTY. A person commits an offense if the person violates this chapter. An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $500 or more than $1,500 unless it is shown on trial of the offense that the person knowingly or intentionally violated this chapter, in which event the offense is a Class B misdemeanor.

I hope they get sued into the stone age.

It doesn't say what's wrong with the signs.

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It doesn't say what's wrong with the signs.

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Yes it does. At around 1:30ish or so it explains what a correct sign should look like.

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Wrecker drivers , scum of the earth, until you are broke down on the side of the road at midnight and need one lol.

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That's what husbands and dads are for....

Don't the businesses contact the towing companies to tow cars from their lots? If that is the case why go after the towing company? Go after the business person who is trying to use his parking lot for his/her business.

What nerve. Just because the businesses pave the lot, stripe it to code, pay the taxes, etc, why shouldn't they let someone who doesn't want to purchase a parking pass or is late to class, park in their investment?

Thanks crippleJohn tons of GR8 info on the comments on that report. Every time I ck on it there something new.

Well so much for the hookup lol. I know every wrecker company in town, precision and thweatt are good, the others i have no comment on

I'm wondering where these legally parked cars were parked.

In the case of that one couple that went to McDonald's, were they towed from McDonald's parking lot or the Stack parking lot? Were they actually legally parked if they parked in someone else's parking lot? Just where does the parking lot start and end for Schlotzskys?

I would venture a guess that there is a cross parking agreement with McDonald's/Schlotzsky's/Stack and that is why the signs are purposely vague.

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What i never understood was, why not start a park and pay on the lot? It sits there making no money. Have students buy a pass that's cheaper than campus. You'll be full every day.

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The answer may be because the current system makes more profit for the lot owner. It seems most folks are concentrating on A-1's role here, but the lot owner may have a more important role. Did KBTX or anyone inquire as to what the business relationship is between the lot owner and A-1? If A-1 provides a revenue share (kickback to paint a negative light) back to the lot owner, then I could see it being possible that the lot owner makes more money sharing in $200 per tow x Y number of tows per day versus paying to operate a paid lot and collecting $x/car per hour or day.

So, KBTX, Beagle, or other hard-hitting journalists - want to try and get to the bottom of the relationship between A-1 and the lot owner?

eko - I believe the article said the lot owner doesn't make anything from the tow

The Stack is owned by Culpepper Family, LP - Registered agent John Culpepper.
A-1 is owned by Myrna Sue Kalinec - transferred from Frank Kalinec.. (Community Property Removal of Spouse)

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What i never understood was, why not start a park and pay on the lot? It sits there making no money. Have students buy a pass that's cheaper than campus. You'll be full every day.

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I bet it has to do with then having to file as business, have insurance and deal with liability.

Whereas getting a 50% kick back from the towing company avoids any legal/administrative/tax issues.

From the story:

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We also reached out to the owner of The Stack who told us they want the signs to be legal. He added they are not receiving any money for the cars A-1 tows.

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Is The Stack the owner of the lot in question? I realize they probably have rights to use the lot, but that doesn't mean they own it. I'm not willing to dig through www.brazoscad.org to try and figure out the ownership structure. My best guess is that the Stack owns the land the building is on and leases the parking from Culpepper.

The article is silent on whether or not the actual owner of the lot (if it is Culpepper family) is sharing in the revenues.

Did you actually LOOK at the article?

Okay, here we go on ownership. The Stack is owned by Culpepper, as is the unnumbered property above it. Also, properties 13576, 13578, 13579, 13580, 13581, 13588, 13589 and 13591 are Culpepper properties.

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Okay, here we go on ownership. The Stack is owned by Culpepper, as is the unnumbered property above it. Also, properties 13576, 13578, 13579, 13580, 13581, 13588, 13589 and 13591 are Culpepper properties.

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Thanks for doing the research. So, it appears Culpepper owns The Stack and the parking lot. I still think the news article doesn't quite close the loop on whether or not Culpepper gets a cut of the A-1 towing fees. KBTX probably asked a manager at The Stack whether The Stack gets any money from the towing - which they don't as they don't own the lot and the manager at The Stack is unlikely to have any idea as to the financial dealing of the Culpepper enterprises.

KBTX/Beagle/ et al: Now that my inquiring juices are flowing, does the parking lot owner get a cut of the towing fees from A-1? Go ask the Culpeppers...

what's a kickback?

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what's a kickback?

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say if they charge the towee $200 and give $50 to the owner of the lot.

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"....whether The Stack gets any money from the towing - which they don't as they don't own the lot..."

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Unless I am completely misunderstanding things, The Stack does own the parking lot. The image that I posted shows it to be apartments (The Stack) valued at something over $29 million, owned by Culpepper.

Edited to say - I suppose, if you argue the actual piece of property owned and occupied by the stack, you could argue that people are parking on other Culpepper property, but not necessarily that of The Stack... but the same entity (Culpepper Family, LP) owns all those properties..

Not One Legal Towing Sign Posted in College Station or Bryan.
http://texasparkingfacilityfraud.blogspot.com/2013/10/not-one-legal-towing-sign-posted-in.html

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I suppose, if you argue the actual piece of property owned and occupied by the stack, you could argue that people are parking on other Culpepper property, but not necessarily that of The Stack... but the same entity (Culpepper Family, LP) owns all those properties..

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I understand the Stack is owned by Culpepper. The news article doesn't say anything about whether or not the actual lot owner - Culpepper Enterprises or whatever - gets any share of the towing fees. The article only says the Stack doesn't.

I suppose you may be trying to argue that "The Stack doesn't get any money from the tows" to mean the same thing as "the lot owner, Culpepper Enterprises doesn't get any money from the tows." I don't think these two sentences mean remotely the same thing. I also don't think the source at the Stack that KBTX apparently talked to (presumably some sort of manager at the apartments) would know anything about the contractual relationship between Culpepper Enterprises and A-1 Towing.

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" I don't think these two sentences mean remotely the same thing."

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Really not wanting to beat a horse to death or anything, but I think they do. The Stack is owned by
Culpepper Family, LC - as is the lot. If The Stack is getting money for it, unless the manager is pocketing it, then Culpepper Family, LC would be getting the money.

I'm probably not being clear enough. Since dead horses are fun - It is more likely that payments would go from A1 to Culpepper family and NOT through The Stack. My questions is not whether The Stack is getting any money from the parking lot tows - I doubt they are. If anyone gets a cut - it goes directly to Culpepper Family partnership or whatever - not to the Stack. It simply is not the same. The person that they asked at The Stack almost certainly has no idea whether Culpepper Family partnership gets any money from A1.

So: I agree, If the Stack got money, then ultimately Culpepper does. But just because The Stack doesn't get money doesn't mean Culpepper doesn't.

My question is: Does Culpepper Family partnership get any money from the A1 tows? (The news article doesn't say.)

Fair enough.

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I'm probably not being clear enough. Since dead horses are fun - It is more likely that payments would go from A1 to Culpepper family and NOT through The Stack. My questions is not whether The Stack is getting any money from the parking lot tows - I doubt they are. If anyone gets a cut - it goes directly to Culpepper Family partnership or whatever - not to the Stack. It simply is not the same. The person that they asked at The Stack almost certainly has no idea whether Culpepper Family partnership gets any money from A1.

So: I agree, If the Stack got money, then ultimately Culpepper does. But just because The Stack doesn't get money doesn't mean Culpepper doesn't.

My question is: Does Culpepper Family partnership get any money from the A1 tows? (The news article doesn't say.)

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Relationship of A1 to Culpepper, all the Culpepper property that i have seen in the past 2 decades, the ones that do have a $ign is an A1 $ign

I was towed a few years ago and didn't know the laws. I'm about to go take a picture of the sign from the lot I was towed from and report a violation.
They removed my car at midnight from NG, and said if I didn't come get it from snook before noon the next day, I would be charged $100 more.

Was by there about 30 min ago. Spotter lady is back in her spot. Right by the McDonalds.