Sean Cruz busts another illegal Sergeant's tow!!

Brazen daylight grab thwarted!!

Portland, Oregon—

I caught another Sergeant’s tow driver attempting an illegal heist of my neighbor’s car from his designated parking spot yesterday afternoon.

The Sergeant’s tow-jacker was in the act of telling the neighbor that his car didn’t have the proper Hacienda CDC tag and he was therefore impounding the vehicle when he saw me coming and changed his mind about going through with the tow, just like that!

We’ve been down this path before, and Sergeant’s towed a tenant’s vehicle from its designated spot back there, in clear violation of Oregon statute, just a couple of weeks ago.

I informed the neighbor about his rights under Senate Bill 431 (2007), to wit: If your rental or lease agreement provides for a designated parking spot, then they need your permission before they can tow the vehicle. This is the law!!!

This law has been on the books for more than two years now, but Sergeant’s is counting on (your) lack of awareness, continuing to make illegal tows all over town.

It’s a tough economy for predatory patrol towers, too….

Remember, the entire organization runs on commission. I understand that the new rate for towjacking your vehicle is a ransom of $340, plus whatever other fees they can pile on.

In absolute fairness to Sergeant’s Towing, they are making the tows under an agreement with the property owner, Hacienda CDC.

Hacienda CDC operates in a de facto partnership with Sergeant’s and Retriever Towing, has done so for years. Hacienda CDC owns the real estate and gives towing predators carte blanche, authorizing commission-paid drivers to tow at will, without regard for the laws protecting tenants from illegal tows.

Hacienda CDC is therefore the most prolific authorizer-of-predatory-towing in all of Northeast Portland, responsible for sending many a tow truck driver to sunny Baja, year after year, tow after tow, $340 bucks a pop now….

And they call it affordable housing….

Hacienda’s clout in City Hall and on the PDC, however, enables the organization to carve out an illegal towaway zone from public right-of-way at it’s NE 42nd Ave offices, for the convenience of its staff.

I reported on this fact before, and Hacienda CDC staff heard from the City of Portland that their “Hacienda parking only” signage was illegal, but the signs are still there….