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Call Kurtis: For Sale Sign Caused My Car to Get Towed While I Shopped

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) —  Running errands in a busy shopping center, Matt Gray saw an opportunity to showcase his car for sale.

"I thought it was a great location where people would see my car," he said.

He says a half hour later after shopping at a Rite Aid and PetSmart on Watt Avenue, he came outside to find his car towed because the tow company said "for sale signs" are not allowed. He says he had to pay $350 to get his car back.

"No one said I couldn't post a 'for sale sign' while I was shopping," he said. "In my personal opinion I feel like it was theft of my vehicle."

Consumer Attorney Stuart Talley says under state law, signs at every entrance of a parking lot must give the rules before a car can be towed. When we looked, we didn't see anything posted about "for sale signs" being banned. If you're towed illegally, state law says you may be owed up to two times the towing and storage costs.

"Under the statute whoever is responsible for having the car towed is responsible for the penalty," Talley said.

We reached out to property management company KCM which said they are, "Not in a position to respond". The company agreed to reimburse Matt the $350, "once a reimbursement waiver is signed".

Happy to have his money back, Matt doesn't want to see someone else get towed for the same reason.

"I want them to be transparent and fair about enforcing their rules."

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