When drivers like Craig Myers park where they shouldn’t in Chicago and get towed, they expect certain consequences.
“Obviously it was my fault that I parked there, because I didn’t look at the sign correctly,” he said.
Craig Myers speaks with CBS News Chicago’s Lauren Victory at location from where his car was towed in February 2025.
Allen Maniscalco/CBS News Chicago
On a snowless night in February 2025, Myers parked in a December-to-April overnight snow tow zone.
“Looked at the sign, and all I saw was two inches of snow. I was really tired,” he explained.
The next morning, his car was gone, hauled away by a tow truck.
“I was able to make the phone calls to find out what pound the car was in,” he said. “I was okay with paying the tow. That was my fault. I paid my dues for that, right? I understood that I parked illegally. But, I did not expect this nightmare.”
The nightmare, Myers explained, is the state he found his Hyundai Santa Fe in after he paid the fee.
“I turned on the car and it made a loud noise. I pulled up to the gate where the attendant was standing right there,” Myers said. “I put it in park, and when I put it in park, the car kept going. They apparently broke the parking pin.”
Myers said he also noticed damage to the bumper. These are all problems he claims did not exist prior to the tow.
His Santa Fe is a four-wheel drive SUV. The best way to tow an all-wheel drive vehicle, multiple experts told CBS News Chicago, is on a flatbed truck.
Myers was able to get surveillance video which shows his SUV being pulled by a regular tow truck, back wheels seen rolling on the ground.
Surveillance video from nearby business shows tow truck taking Myers’ vehicle.
Craig Myers
He followed the rules, filing a claim and attaching multiple estimates. Mechanics told him he would need his transmission replaced.
They also told him this was not the first time they’ve encountered this type of damage.
“Every mechanic said, ‘This is what the city does. This is what the towing company does. They’ve been doing it for years. Good luck,'” Myers said.
United Road Towing (URT) has a 10-year, $96 million contract with the city to provide tows, among other things. Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation also conducts towing operations. A department spokesperson said last year, URT towed 58,245 vehicles while DSS towed 22,877.
CBS News Chicago requested tow damage claim data. An analysis found 23% of claims submitted between 2016 and 2024 were approved. The city paid a total of $166,000 for those 76 claims.
The remaining claims were either denied or are still open as of the public records date. Either way, nothing was paid to drivers, especially if a URT truck was identified as the responsible party.
There are a few cases where drivers took URT to court and were ultimately able to get some money from the company for tow damage.
Myers’ claim was denied. A letter sent to him by URT said, “Our investigation, as sustained by the police tow report, motor vehicle inventory report, tow driver and personnel conclude the damage reported was not the result of any action on the part of our company personnel. Therefore, your claim has been denied.”
Last year, CBS News Chicago reported on another driver, Esther Liu, whose car was towed improperly. Unlike Myers, her car should not have been towed at all. She was parked in a legal parking spot. The tow, also caught on surveillance video, showed her all-wheel drive Honda Element being hauled away with the back wheels on the ground.
That was July 2024. Her car did not work at all when she went to the pound to pick it up. She submitted a claim and an estimate. Her case remains in limbo more than a year later.
“Insurance declared it a total loss,” Liu said.
The city is requesting another estimate from her.
But, Myers’ case is turning out differently after CBS News Chicago began asking questions. Myers got additional news from a United Road Towing company executive.
“His offer was, I’ll give you what the Blue Book is on this. The Kelly’s Blue Book,” said Myers.
Within days, he had a $3,500 check in hand.
“It’s my understanding that it was kind of take it or leave it and I took it,” he said.
In written responses to CBS News Chicago questions, the Department of Streets and Sanitation said the most common reasons for claim denials are: Insufficient evidence, meaning a lack of clear documentation to support the claim; and preexisting damage where their records indicate the damage in question existed prior to the tow.
“All staff must do an initial inspection prior to towing the vehicle,” DSS wrote.
But, in Liu’s case it’s clear from the surveillance video no initial inspection was done. Her car was hooked up and driven away from the River North parking spot in under a minute. When asked about that, DSS said tow operators, if concerned for their safety, sometimes move cars to a nearby location to conduct the pre-tow inspection.
In response to URT’s common denial of claims found in the data analysis, DSS said it “has not found a consistent pattern of denials,” adding, “However, we remain receptive to feedback from residents and are always open to finding ways to improve oversight and communication both internally and externally.”
As for towing procedures URT tow trucks are seen using in the Liu and Myers videos, DSS said, “All towing operators, including those employed by URT, are mandated to adhere to strict guidelines regarding the handling, transportation and documentation of vehicles. We want residents to feel confident knowing that if and when concerns are brought to our attention, we will immediately initiate serious and thorough investigations to hold all contracted partners accountable.”
DSS said between the department and URT, the city has 60 flatbed trucks available to conduct tows.
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