San Antonio Couple Returns To Find Both Cars Towed After Under An Hour And A Half And Gets Hit With $717.22 In Fees Plus A Mystery $25 Charge

Kristina Richie and her husband figured they were just parking for a night out. They walked to an event in downtown San Antonio, and when they came back, both of their cars were gone.

The tow was bad enough. The bill, she says, is what set off a viral post and a fight she is now taking to court. Fox San Antonio reported the story.

“We Weren’t Even There For An Hour And A Half”

Richie says both vehicles were towed on the same night from a parking lot off N St. Mary’s and E Martin St. in downtown San Antonio.

“We came in, we parked, I kind of looked around. We were in a hurry. I wasn’t really thinking too much about it. And we took off walking down to our event that we were going to at the Majestic that evening,” she said.

The couple left the event early. “We weren’t even there for an hour and a half. We came back and both of our cars were gone,” Richie said.

$358.61 Per Car, Or $717.22 For The Pair

Richie says it is not the tow itself that bothers her. It is the cost that came with it.

Receipts she shared with the station show the couple paid $358.61 for each car, a grand total of $717.22. Richie used to own a tow company in South Carolina, and she says something looked off right away.

“She tries to get me to pay for my bill and won’t allow me to see what I’m paying for until after I pay it,” she said. “$358 per vehicle that they had for less than an hour and a half, maybe two hours maximum in their yard. $358, I’m like, ‘this seems like a lot.’”

What The State Allows, And What San Antonio Allows

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, known as TDLR, sets the rules for non-consent tows, the kind where a car is hauled away without the owner’s permission. According to TDLR, “a license or permit holder may not charge a fee for a non-consent tow that is greater than a non-consent tow established under the Texas Occupations Code.”

Statewide, that works out to $272 for a car weighing 10,000 pounds or less. State law also lets cities set their own fee, and San Antonio’s is $175.

The Richies were charged the state fee.

A “Bogus” $25 Charge Called A Private Property Administrative Tow Fee

There was one more line item that Richie calls out. “There was also another bogus charge on my bill of $25, and it was called a private property administrative tow fee,” she said.

The station says it tried to get the other side of the story from Creswell Towing. A call left the reporter on hold for more than 12 minutes without an answer, and when the crew showed up in person, they were asked to leave the property.

A Viral Post Brings Out Thousands Of Frustrated Drivers

Richie posted her complaint on TikTok, where it drew roughly 850,000 views and sparked a flood of comments. Thousands of frustrated drivers chimed in with their own towing stories, according to the station.

“I want there to be so much awareness and so much knowledge out there that they don’t get over on anybody else with this overcharging nonsense,” she said.

She says she has reached out to both the TDLR and the San Antonio Police Department to file complaints. And she is taking her concerns to court.

“You Can Ask To Have Somebody Look At Your Bill”

Richie says Texas law gives towed drivers a way to push back. “In the state of Texas, if you get towed, you can file a tow hearing,” she explained. “You can ask to have somebody look at your bill and make sure that you were not overcharged.”

If she wins, she could get her money back, and Creswell could face hefty fines.

What To Do If Your Car Gets Towed

Anybody who has returned to an empty parking space knows the sinking feeling. A few steps can protect your wallet, and none of them require being a tow-truck expert.

Before you leave a car anywhere, photograph the signs at the lot entrance and note the address. If you are towed, those photos can matter later.
Ask for an itemized bill before you pay, and ask what each charge is for. Take a photo of the receipt.
Compare the numbers against what your state and city allow. In this case, the regulator listed $272 statewide and $175 for San Antonio.
If the numbers do not add up, file a complaint with your state’s regulator and ask about a hearing. Deadlines can be short, so check right away.
Keep everything: receipts, photos, names and times. Evidence is what a hearing officer works from.

Paying a bill to get your car back does not mean you give up the right to dispute it. In this story, the couple paid and then fought.

The company has not answered Fox San Antonio’s calls. Whether the charges hold up is now up to the regulators and the court, and for one couple on a night out, an hour and a half of parking turned into a $717.22 lesson.

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