Cars towed in Azalea Festival parking mix-up

WILMINGTON — Private property generally means no parking for drivers. But a situation this weekend over a vacant lot in Wilmington had some drivers confused with costly consequences. Several cars were towed from a private downtown property at the request of the owner, but several people who were towed said they had parked there many times before with permission and without a problem. It all started on Saturday morning when several local drivers went to pick up their parked cars at North Fourth and Brunswick Streets. But the cars weren't there. Instead they had been towed, and they say without warning and without telling them where. Now, the question is: were they allowed to park there? The owner of this vacant lot on north fourth and Brunswick Street says on his lot no signs, no permission means no parking. "I was actually there. I directed the tow truck to the cars and stayed at the lot for the whole day." That's why Robert Brunson had several cars towed from his property next to the Goat and Compass. Bar owners said months ago they got permission from Sadie Davis, a relative of Brunson's, for their patrons to park there. There was never a problem until this past Saturday. Shea McCombs is frustrated over the car towing. She said, "I woke up and came here and found my car had been towed. In a lot that we thought that we had permission to park in." When it comes to parking lots, towing is not allowed unless there are clearly visible signs that say "no parking." Even though people regularly park on the lot on Fourth Street, city police say they don't consider it to be an official parking lot, so the rules governing parking lots don't really apply here. It's just a private lot, where owners would be justified in having people towed if they didn't want them parked here. They are in the process of having signs made that say no parking to prevent future confusion. "They're already in the process because the tow company truck said the same thing. He said talk to the police that are out there and they said the same thing…they said although its common sense that that is private property and they're parking on your lot and you can tow them, its better if you get signs and put them up so they know that you can't park there and will be towed. So those signs are already in the process of being made." The unresolved question here seems to be the permission the patrons thought they had to park in this lot. Also, is it possible for people who get their cars towed to get their money back. The city attorney has said he is willing to investigate the claim. We'll check back with him tomorrow.