This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • Chris Gay had no idea when he drove to see his first soccer game at Rio Tinto Stadium that he later would walk a mile at midnight and wake his wife to get his car back.
The Salt Lake City resident was among the sellout crowd for a fall 2008 Real Salt Lake game. But, to the chagrin of many who parked at an abandoned parking lot at 203 W. 9000 South, a tow company was also in attendance.
After the game, Gay thought his car had been stolen, but then he saw another car being towed.
Sandy police "said the car was in White City" and getting it back would cost $250, cash only.
"I didn't have cash and it was midnight," he said.
So Gay, his son and two friends walked about a mile to the tow yard and sat with 20 other angry people waiting to get their cars. He awoke his wife, who stopped at an ATM to get the cash.
Since September 2008, Speedy Towing has taken more than 2,600 vehicles from the old Lowe's, costing owners almost $725,000.
The tows happen at various times and frequencies, sometimes at a clip of as many as eight an hour, logs obtained through an open-records request show.
Matthias Kellmer, property manager for the lot, said he was surprised by the number of impounds.
"I have to admit, this is a good sum," he said.
Kellmer said the only benefit to him is keeping the lot clean.
"Do we make money on this? Absolutely not. We do not collect a single dime on this," he said.
Kellmer declined to provide a copy of his contract with the towing agency, which makes its money through an average tow fine for car owners of $275 per vehicle. It does not charge the property owner.
Since Lowe's relocated in 2005, the vacant building had a lot of break-ins and debris, including bottles and syringes littering the parking lot.
"We said we need some eyes on the property," Kellmer said. Gay said he knew parking for the soccer game was a problem, so he parked in the empty lot near the stadium. Kellmer said Speedy Towing was chosen in part because it maintains its own signage, but Gay says he never saw a sign.
Kevin Engel, general manager of Speedy Towing, said the company is just doing its job.
"We aren't looking to tow anybody but those that are not authorized to be there," Engel said. "We are trying to solve the problem, we aren't trying to be a nuisance … or a burden to the community."
Cindy Van Gerven, a manager and bartender at Club 90 across the street from the lot, said she has seen the towing many times.
"The signs in the parking lot were very small — people couldn't see them — so they were parking over there," Van Gerven said. "They get out and they get their children out in their strollers, and start walking up to the soccer game. And as soon as they hit the top of the street, the tow trucks will come out and take their car ... and then they are back within 15 to 20 minutes waiting for the next one."
Van Gerven said signs at the club warn patrons not to park in the lot.
"It is just like a revolving door," she said. "They would just pick them up as fast as they could."
There's no such extra warning for soccer fans.
The majority of the complaints to Sandy city are after soccer games, said Angela Snyder, a code enforcement tech in Sandy.
The timing of towing enforcement, Kellmer said, was purely a coincidence.
"Our main focus was the cleanup, and it so happened at the time the soccer season was starting," Kellmer said.
Kellmer said he has been working with the city to resolve complaints. He looked into hosting event parking during games but said that option was "just a lot more work."
Snyder said people often have said the lot was not adequately marked as a tow-away zone.
"All I can do is sympathize, because we don't have jurisdiction to help," Snyder said. "[Towing laws] are regulated by the state."
Over the years, the signs have become larger and more prominent, Van Gerven said. Since late 2009, the frequency of tows has also gone down, according to dispatch reports.
Engel said a tow-away zone "does not have to be posted," but he decided to put up 37 signs anyway to "alert the public."
However, state law requires signage to be displayed where "parking is subject to towing."
In mid-March, 13 signs were displayed. An additional six signs have been erected since.
Towing will continue on the lot until a new business moves in, Kellmer said. At this time, there are no prospects.
How many impounds?
View the list of impounds since September 2008 (PDF) at http://bit.ly/euiDEB —
Have a complaint?
If a person thinks his or her car was improperly towed, they can fill out a complaint form at http://www.utahmc.com. The state will look into the complaint and could take action.