Hey Midway Companies!
I work with former ABC 13 Undercover journalist Wayne Dolcefino and I grew up in Houston. Love the town. I live in San Angelo now because I'd rather breathe the cleaner air and not deal with traffic on I-10.
Anyway, my daughter, who is a sophomore at Texas A&M in College Station, was caught up in a towing scam being perpetrated by your Century Square location across the street from the A&M campus. https://midwaycompanies.com/projects/century-square.
She was lured to park on your property by your previous publicity that you offer free parking for students or anyone else who patrons your tenants there.
My daughter, Reagan, parked my car there at your parking facility and went to the Harvest Coffee Shop. She said she was there for approximately 2 hours studying. When she returned to where she she parked the car, it was not there. She panicked. She thought the car was stolen. She called me and told me what happened. Along the way, my daughter was informed by your guy, [Person A], who was very nice and professional, that he had the car towed because he had video, taken from behind, of my daughter walking across the street to class on the A&M campus. He said students aren't allowed to park in his garage and walk across the street to campus, according to your rules, not the law. If someone does this, [Person A] will order the car towed.
My daughter said it wasn't true that she walked across the street to campus. In fact, when she arrived at the parking spot and found her car missing, she returned to Harvest Coffee where one of the owners, Ashley, drove her home. Ashley recalled her being there, and of course Reagan has the receipt for her purchases there.
We asked [Person A] for a copy of the video proof that Reagan walked across the street to class. We were sent, via text, a very low resolution video, of what was purportedly my daughter walking across a street. [Person A] said that was my daughter walking across the street to campus. I knew that likely wasn't my daughter, not just because I believed my daughter. She has no classes scheduled at that time, and besides, her major is in Allied Health. The classrooms across University Ave. from Century Square are mostly in the school of engineering. Why would she be walking across the street to class there?
I couldn't confirm the identity of that person in the fuzzy video walking across the street, and [Person A] admitted that he hadn't seen my daughter in person ever, but said he confirmed it was her by asking Ashley the coffee shop owner and my daughter what my daughter was wearing. So, [Person A] couldn't confirm the video was of my daughter, either.
To get my car out of a wrecking yard in north Bryan was going to cost me $300. And if I didn't go and get my car this day, the towing company was going to tack on storage fees. I asked [Person A] to resolve the issue before it was too late in the day. By resolution, I wanted my car out of the wrecking yard and I refused to pay Midway's extortion.
My next step was to take my complaint to a Brazos County JP court for a Towing Hearing. There, I hoped the JP would require Century and Midway Properties to prove up that video, and prove that was my daughter in that video. I intended to win my case. And when I did, I was going direct to the TDLR at the State to file a formal complaint against Midway and the towing company.
By the way, my daughter was quoted an unlawful retrieval fee by Midway's representative. According to the TDLR, the towing fee could not be $300. It should have been $255 (it was a 2010 Lexus 350 weighing less than 10k pounds). The towing company could charge me $25 for storage. The total fine, as outlined by the State of Texas could not exceed $280. https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/towing/consumerinfo.htm
My daughter was not given notice by your company or the towing company of her rights to a Tow Hearing, as required by law.
After about an hour, [Person A] called me back. He admitted that the video had been altered and would not prove my daughter crossed University to class. He said that he had called the towing company and authorized them to release my car back to my daughter free of charge. He did not offer to pay for the Uber or transportation from campus to north Bryan to retrieve my car that was for all intents and purposes stolen by Midway Properties.
The video appeared to be an iPhone video of someone walking behind my daughter. What kind of creepy people do you have patrolling your parking garage with video cameras? Are they background checked? Are any of them sex offenders? This chasing of our daughters with your weird hired camera guys patrolling your parking garage is really, really creepy. Listen to them in the video attached.
Also, I checked on the towing company Midway uses at Century. It is AMA Towing. According to the Better Business Bureau, they have been in business from just since Feb. 2019. A 9-month old towing company!
My suspicion is this fly-by-night operation offering towing services off private property was set up to conspire with Midway and other companies like yours to extort as much money as possible out of hapless Texas A&M students and their parents until someone complains to the TDLR. Then, instead of facing the regulatory body, a new LLC is formed overnight. Then the new LLC takes over the former company's trucks, and you guys are back in business extorting students and parents at Texas A&M.
According to reputable towing companies, private property tows are generally declined by them because of the legal liability from TDLR enforcement. I believe that the private property owner also shares in the liability of an unauthorized tow as well. I haven't researched the City of College Station Ordinances, but State Law reads that you cannot tow my car unless I allow it or it is under the direction of a licensed peace officer. I don't believe the police were involved in this civil matter. https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/towing/towinglaw.htm#2308254
In conclusion, for my reporting on this matter, I'd like to know:
1. What kind of men do you have patrolling your parking lots and filming our daughters? Are they background checked? Are any of them registered sex offenders? Does your CEO find this creepy like I do? Does anyone at your C-level have a daughter away at school?
2. Is it Midway Companies' policy to work with fly-by-night towing companies like AMA Towing? Have you checked the background of the towing company, its tow operators, or office staff? Since my daughter had to get transportation to a shady north Bryan wrecking lot, I'd like to know what kind of people Midway is exposing my daughter to? Do they even really have insurance?
3. When you admit you don't have the authorization or evidence to tow my daughter's car, such was the case here, what is Midway's policy for reimbursing her for transportation to the shady north Bryan wrecking yard to retrieve the car you effectively stole while she was patronizing one of your tenants?
4. How do you think your tenants feel about your parking extortion scheme you are orchestrating on their customers?
5. How much money in kickbacks does the towing company pay Midway Companies for allowing and hiring them to wrongfully confiscate your tenants' patrons' cars?
6. Was not the press release you published months ago announcing free parking for Century Square patrons really just bait to entice hapless patrons to your property so that you could illegally tow their cars and extort them with B.S. fines using a shady 9-month-old towing company at a shady north Bryan wrecking yard, fattening your bottom line?
I'd like to know these answers for my article I'm writing. We also want to visit Century Square with our camera crew.
Big companies like yours often take advantage of families like mine. I am paying a small fortune to send my daughter to Texas A&M. She is away from home for the first time. She is unsure about a lot of things. In short, she is vulnerable and that makes me vulnerable Just like most families who have daughters away at schools like Texas A&M. Midway is exploiting families like mine. I imagine similar families facing your parking extortion scheme and your shady tow truck operators roll over and pay the $300, enriching your shareholders.
I intend to hold Midway accountable for those families who don't have the money, time or smarts to fight you. Midway should be ashamed of itself.
Video attached. https://www.facebook.com/texascountry/videos/10156246865381653/
Gig 'Em,
Joe Hyde '86
Publisher SanAngeloLIVE.com
Office (325) 340-1238
[Person A] was edited to keep personal identities out of the forums.
I work with former ABC 13 Undercover journalist Wayne Dolcefino and I grew up in Houston. Love the town. I live in San Angelo now because I'd rather breathe the cleaner air and not deal with traffic on I-10.
Anyway, my daughter, who is a sophomore at Texas A&M in College Station, was caught up in a towing scam being perpetrated by your Century Square location across the street from the A&M campus. https://midwaycompanies.com/projects/century-square.
She was lured to park on your property by your previous publicity that you offer free parking for students or anyone else who patrons your tenants there.
My daughter, Reagan, parked my car there at your parking facility and went to the Harvest Coffee Shop. She said she was there for approximately 2 hours studying. When she returned to where she she parked the car, it was not there. She panicked. She thought the car was stolen. She called me and told me what happened. Along the way, my daughter was informed by your guy, [Person A], who was very nice and professional, that he had the car towed because he had video, taken from behind, of my daughter walking across the street to class on the A&M campus. He said students aren't allowed to park in his garage and walk across the street to campus, according to your rules, not the law. If someone does this, [Person A] will order the car towed.
My daughter said it wasn't true that she walked across the street to campus. In fact, when she arrived at the parking spot and found her car missing, she returned to Harvest Coffee where one of the owners, Ashley, drove her home. Ashley recalled her being there, and of course Reagan has the receipt for her purchases there.
We asked [Person A] for a copy of the video proof that Reagan walked across the street to class. We were sent, via text, a very low resolution video, of what was purportedly my daughter walking across a street. [Person A] said that was my daughter walking across the street to campus. I knew that likely wasn't my daughter, not just because I believed my daughter. She has no classes scheduled at that time, and besides, her major is in Allied Health. The classrooms across University Ave. from Century Square are mostly in the school of engineering. Why would she be walking across the street to class there?
I couldn't confirm the identity of that person in the fuzzy video walking across the street, and [Person A] admitted that he hadn't seen my daughter in person ever, but said he confirmed it was her by asking Ashley the coffee shop owner and my daughter what my daughter was wearing. So, [Person A] couldn't confirm the video was of my daughter, either.
To get my car out of a wrecking yard in north Bryan was going to cost me $300. And if I didn't go and get my car this day, the towing company was going to tack on storage fees. I asked [Person A] to resolve the issue before it was too late in the day. By resolution, I wanted my car out of the wrecking yard and I refused to pay Midway's extortion.
My next step was to take my complaint to a Brazos County JP court for a Towing Hearing. There, I hoped the JP would require Century and Midway Properties to prove up that video, and prove that was my daughter in that video. I intended to win my case. And when I did, I was going direct to the TDLR at the State to file a formal complaint against Midway and the towing company.
By the way, my daughter was quoted an unlawful retrieval fee by Midway's representative. According to the TDLR, the towing fee could not be $300. It should have been $255 (it was a 2010 Lexus 350 weighing less than 10k pounds). The towing company could charge me $25 for storage. The total fine, as outlined by the State of Texas could not exceed $280. https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/towing/consumerinfo.htm
My daughter was not given notice by your company or the towing company of her rights to a Tow Hearing, as required by law.
After about an hour, [Person A] called me back. He admitted that the video had been altered and would not prove my daughter crossed University to class. He said that he had called the towing company and authorized them to release my car back to my daughter free of charge. He did not offer to pay for the Uber or transportation from campus to north Bryan to retrieve my car that was for all intents and purposes stolen by Midway Properties.
The video appeared to be an iPhone video of someone walking behind my daughter. What kind of creepy people do you have patrolling your parking garage with video cameras? Are they background checked? Are any of them sex offenders? This chasing of our daughters with your weird hired camera guys patrolling your parking garage is really, really creepy. Listen to them in the video attached.
Also, I checked on the towing company Midway uses at Century. It is AMA Towing. According to the Better Business Bureau, they have been in business from just since Feb. 2019. A 9-month old towing company!
My suspicion is this fly-by-night operation offering towing services off private property was set up to conspire with Midway and other companies like yours to extort as much money as possible out of hapless Texas A&M students and their parents until someone complains to the TDLR. Then, instead of facing the regulatory body, a new LLC is formed overnight. Then the new LLC takes over the former company's trucks, and you guys are back in business extorting students and parents at Texas A&M.
According to reputable towing companies, private property tows are generally declined by them because of the legal liability from TDLR enforcement. I believe that the private property owner also shares in the liability of an unauthorized tow as well. I haven't researched the City of College Station Ordinances, but State Law reads that you cannot tow my car unless I allow it or it is under the direction of a licensed peace officer. I don't believe the police were involved in this civil matter. https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/towing/towinglaw.htm#2308254
In conclusion, for my reporting on this matter, I'd like to know:
1. What kind of men do you have patrolling your parking lots and filming our daughters? Are they background checked? Are any of them registered sex offenders? Does your CEO find this creepy like I do? Does anyone at your C-level have a daughter away at school?
2. Is it Midway Companies' policy to work with fly-by-night towing companies like AMA Towing? Have you checked the background of the towing company, its tow operators, or office staff? Since my daughter had to get transportation to a shady north Bryan wrecking lot, I'd like to know what kind of people Midway is exposing my daughter to? Do they even really have insurance?
3. When you admit you don't have the authorization or evidence to tow my daughter's car, such was the case here, what is Midway's policy for reimbursing her for transportation to the shady north Bryan wrecking yard to retrieve the car you effectively stole while she was patronizing one of your tenants?
4. How do you think your tenants feel about your parking extortion scheme you are orchestrating on their customers?
5. How much money in kickbacks does the towing company pay Midway Companies for allowing and hiring them to wrongfully confiscate your tenants' patrons' cars?
6. Was not the press release you published months ago announcing free parking for Century Square patrons really just bait to entice hapless patrons to your property so that you could illegally tow their cars and extort them with B.S. fines using a shady 9-month-old towing company at a shady north Bryan wrecking yard, fattening your bottom line?
I'd like to know these answers for my article I'm writing. We also want to visit Century Square with our camera crew.
Big companies like yours often take advantage of families like mine. I am paying a small fortune to send my daughter to Texas A&M. She is away from home for the first time. She is unsure about a lot of things. In short, she is vulnerable and that makes me vulnerable Just like most families who have daughters away at schools like Texas A&M. Midway is exploiting families like mine. I imagine similar families facing your parking extortion scheme and your shady tow truck operators roll over and pay the $300, enriching your shareholders.
I intend to hold Midway accountable for those families who don't have the money, time or smarts to fight you. Midway should be ashamed of itself.
Video attached. https://www.facebook.com/texascountry/videos/10156246865381653/
Gig 'Em,
Joe Hyde '86
Publisher SanAngeloLIVE.com
Office (325) 340-1238
[Person A] was edited to keep personal identities out of the forums.
