Carrollton couple confronts Denton towing company over receipt for towed car
CAR TROUBLES | Aaron Burrow with the car he alleges was illegally towed. (James Russell/Dallas Voice)
Carrollton resident Aaron Burrow took off from his job at a property management company on July 9 and rode with his partner, Michael Pharris, to pick up his car, which had been towed from his apartment complex parking lot by Texas Impound Services in Denton. What happened afterward became an ongoing nightmare, the two men said.
Burrow discovered late on July 8 that one of his two cars was missing from the parking lot at the Villas of Josey Ranch, where he lives. According to documents provided by Burrow, he contacted Amy Stafford, a community manager at the complex, who asked for the towing company to release the vehicle, which was then released free of charge.
As is typical with any transaction, Burrow signed paperwork to receive his car. But things got ugly, he alleges, when the clerk denied his request for a copy of the paperwork, according to statements by both Burrow and Pharris.
As someone who never had his car towed, Burrow said the situation baffled him. Pharris, a former police officer, said it was actually illegal.
WHO SHALL TOW? | Burrow with an allegedly illegal sign. (James Russell/Dallas Voice)
The Texas Towing and Booting Act states that the boot operator, otherwise known as the operator who installs a boot on or removes a boot from a vehicle, must provide a confirmation of the transaction between the customer and operator. Pharris said Texas Impound violated that section of the act by not giving him a copy of the paperwork.
“A receipt is a confirmation of a transaction. The company needs to keep an inventory,” Pharris said. Even with the simplest of transactions, everyone gets a copy confirming an exchange.
During repeated conversations, the couple alleged numerous code violations by the tow company, including expired licenses and registration tags, as well as reports of “aggressive and harassing behavior” by staff members.
After doing some research, Burrow said he discovered he isn’t the only one who has had a bad experience with Texas Impound. A quick Google search confirmed his statements.
Tensions between the couple and Texas Impound Services boiled over on July 11 when the couple and their neighbor, who asked to not be named for fear of retaliation by his employer, noticed a tow truck on their property and blocked the truck from towing. It later left.
On July 12, Burrow and Pharris took their feud public when, during one of his attempts to get a receipt, an unnamed night manager asked Burrow to stop harassing his dispatcher, according to a recording provided by Burrow. When he demanded the receipt, the unnamed manager said he “doesn’t like talking to queers,” then promptly hung up.
Will Godi, a sales representative with Texas Impound, told Dallas Voice the “queers” comment was unprofessional, but would not discuss it further. Godi also alleged that Burrow has been aggressive and has harassed Texas Impound employees.
A city of Denton police report filed by a Texas Impound employee claims that Burrow called their office more than 200 times, and that he has faxed the company a hand-drawn picture of a llama with the words “Where is my receipt?” Denton Police Department Media Relations Officer Ryan Grelle confirmed the report.
Burrow denied those allegations. He said he doesn’t have a fax machine and probably called 20 times or more.
As tensions rose, so did the attacks. The couple took to social media with recordings and information culled through Internet research. Burrow said he and Pharris were aggravated by Texas Impound’s activities and the company’s refusal to provide a confirmation of the transaction. The homophobic comment only made the situation worse.
Godi said the tow was perfectly within the law. Despite the criticism common to towing companies, Godi insisted they have a good track record. When asked about the couple seeing a tow truck late on July 11, he said it is common for many large apartment complexes to struggle with parking issues to have trucks patrol the property and remove cars non-registered cars.
Burrow said July 16 he will be breaking his lease with Villas of Josey Lane. Until this happened, he said, he loved the apartment community where he has lived for 2 ½ years.
“I’m so tired and no one is listening,” Burrow said. “If they had given me what I wanted this would not have happened.”
But he said he isn’t stopping his efforts against Texas Impound.
“I’m not bullied easily. I don’t plan to stop until they get fined,” he said. “No one’s punishing them.”
Burrow and Pharris said they found a photocopy of the receipt on Burrow’s door late on July 16.
But, Pharris said, “That’s an illegal receipt. The right half has been cut off.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 18, 2014.