SoCal beach recommendation

udidwht wrote:
I occasionally will recite passages of (22658) to the hunky dory security rock watcher and they reluctantly walk off in frustration.

Have you read California Vehicle Code Section 22953(a)? It says:

An owner or person in lawful possession of private property that is held open to the public, or a discernible portion thereof, for parking of vehicles at no fee, or an employee or agent thereof, shall not tow or remove, or cause the towing or removal, of a vehicle within one hour of the vehicle being parked.

In plainer English, if a vehicle is parked on private property that is open to the public and provides free parking, it can't be towed until it has been parked for one hour. That means vehicles can be towed after they've been parked for one hour. Not 96 hours.

Here are some references:

From a Los Angeles Times story about predatory towing:

California law requires that tow truck drivers wait one hour before towing vehicles that are parked illegally in commercial lots.


From an LA Weekly story about tow companies holding vehicles for ransom:

The state of California says you have an hour of parking in a private, nonresidential, non-hotel lot before your car can be towed...


From the step-by-step guide on a tow company's website:

STEP 3 - HAS THE CAR BEEN THERE FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR?
Before we can tow from private property you must verify the vehicle has been there for one hour.


From Consumer Connection, a publication of the California Department of Consumer Affairs:

One-Hour Rule A vehicle must be parked for one full hour before being towed unless it is parked in a manner that interferes with an entrance or exit, is within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or in a fire lane. The curb of a fire lane must be painted red and be clearly labeled "No Parking Fire Lane."


From the website of a business that sells a kit for suing tow companies in small claims court:

If the property has free parking open to the public then a vehicle can be towed after it has been improperly parked for one hour.

This applies to restaurants, stores and other places which are private property, there is no charge to enter and park, and the property is open to the public to enter.

Example: A store parking lot says parking is for customers only. If you park there you can only be towed after one hour.

If a vehicle is towed before it has been parked for an hour the penalty is two times the towing and storage fees.


The California Vehicle Code allows vehicles to be towed after one hour, not 96 hours. This is important to RVers who want to overnight in a parking lot because presumably they'll be there for more than one hour.