WHITSETT, N.C. — A Guilford County woman noticed something strange when she went to leave for the day.
Her car disappeared. She'd soon realize that her car was towed.
She realized she wasn't at fault and wanted her money back.
Nobody seemed to want to help until she asked 2 Wants to Know's Kevin Kennedy.
Kenda Revels's townhome sits in a beautiful community. Her car is parked in one of her designated parking spaces.
"We have two parking spots for each unit, Revels explained. "I’ll park over the line. It just depends [if] I’m in a hurry [or] rushing in the house. Parking like this makes it easier to get in and out – also less chance of a door ding. One morning, I came outside, and my car was gone."
She thought it was stolen at first. Then, she thought it was towed.
"I called HOA and started a conversation with them. They said they didn't have anything to do with [the car being towed,]" Revels shared.
So, she called the towing company that patrols the property.
“They say they’re authorized to tow in the neighborhood and because I parked over the line, they towed my car.”'
Double parking is illegal and costs $260, and when Kenda asked the HOA to reconsider, it sent her this:
Upon reviewing your concern, there will be no refund as per the board – you will need to take this up with the towing company.
Kenda paid the money and picked up the car. Then she called WFMY News 2, and we started doing some research on the rules.
"Once it got down to why my car was towed, no one could give me a reason," she said.
We called Cedar Management several times and sent emails asking for answers. Revels sent them an email as well.
"The email was plain and simple – highlight the rule in the rule book that says I can't park this way," she said.
The rule book didn't say anything about parking in both of your assigned spots. Several weeks went by and several emails were sent.
"I wasn’t in anybody else's space – not preventing them – not preventing anyone else from parking," she continued.
Two months had gone by. The HOA blamed the tow company and vice versa. We suggested that Revels call an attorney.
A copy of the email the attorney sent to Cedar Management highlighted the covenants and parking rules and asked for a refund to be made in 10 days.
“It just seems the tow company and HOA were trying to get someone that day," Revels said.
She was about to file a complaint with the court when an email arrived from Cedar Management. It stated the board did not authorize the tow – and the management company was unaware.
It also stated a $260 refund was approved.
The check came a few days later, putting an end to a three-month-long fight.