Houston Court Awards $252.56 in Illegal Towing Dispute
A towing company towed a vehicle despite the owner having a valid permit. The owner confronted the driver, but the tow proceeded. The towing company later submitted photos of a different vehicle. The court found the tow was illegal and awarded the owner damages for removal and storage costs.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $252
- County
- Harris County, TX
- Resolved
- 2018
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Other
- Accident Type
- Other
- Case Type
- Motor Vehicle Accident
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $252 is below the median of $14,473 for other cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $4,770 to $42,056, based on 190 cases in our database.
Case Overview
On January 31, 2018, a vehicle was towed from an apartment complex in Houston, Texas, by a towing company despite displaying a valid parking permit. The plaintiff, the vehicle owner, confronted the tow truck driver during the removal, but the driver refused to stop. The towing company later submitted photographs that depicted a different vehicle than the one actually towed. The plaintiff challenged the tow, seeking the return of the vehicle and a legal determination of its illegality.
A tow hearing in Justice Court, Precinct 8, Place 2, found no probable cause to authorize the vehicle's removal. The court issued its formal findings on March 2, 2018, confirming this conclusion. The towing company subsequently filed a notice of appeal, transferring the case to the County Civil Court at Law.
Following a bench trial, the County Civil Court at Law upheld the lower court's decision on May 29, 2018. The court again determined that the vehicle's removal and storage lacked probable cause, aligning with Chapter 2308 of the Texas Occupations Code. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff and awarded $252.56 to cover the costs of the vehicle's removal and storage, along with court costs, to be paid by the towing company.
Understanding This Case
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Harris County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2018, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome significantly deviates from similar cases
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
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