Matthew Burton

NOTE: I don’t normally write personal stories here, but I think this may help someone. It might even get the NYPD to stop taking advantage of people. In its own way, this story is about government efficacy and information sharing, so it’s not totally out of place on my site.

I just moved to a Brooklyn brownstone. Right outside my door is a curb cut at an intersection. People park there. Then they get towed and fined about $400. But this shouldn’t happen, because this particular curb cut is at a T-intersection, and there is no crosswalk painted on the road. This makes it a legal parking spot. The law was changed last year. Look, see?

Maybe you found this post because you’re one of the poor schmucks who had their car towed. I wish you luck in recovering it. In the meantime, don’t worry: while you can’t recover the time you’ll spend at the tow pound, you can get your money back. But the burden of proof is on you, so you have to make your case effectively. I think I can help you do that.

My own car was towed from a similar spot in August. I put together a pretty detailed package of evidence to make my case.… Read the rest