Why so many cars are getting towed, leaving Renaissance Festival attendees frustrated

After getting your calls and emails, Channel 13 went to the scene to get you answers.

By Jhovani Carrillo

(KTNV) — Multiple Renaissance Festival attendees are frustrated and out hundreds of dollars after they said their cars were towed away over the weekend.

“It’s so sad that trying to make money off people came to have fun, it’s just so sad to see that,” said Andinwoh, a festival attendee.

Andinwoh said her 17-year-old son and his friends decided to go to the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival and parked at the Park 2000 Shopping Center on the corner of Eastern and Sunset Road Friday afternoon.

But when he and his friends came back to his car, it was gone. It had been towed to Tow Guys/Kings Towing on 3823 Losee Road in North Las Vegas.

”It’s wrong,” Andinwoh said. “They picked up my son’s car and took it all the way to North Las Vegas, which was okay but then when I got there I was shocked that for a 20-mile drive, their charge was over $500.”

There are parking signs posted at the plaza — warning people that their cars could be towed if they are not customers, tenants, or employees — however, Andinwoh said the area where her son parked had no visible parking signs.

“When you know there’s an event, there should be some kind of tape. My kid actually ate at the McDonald’s, which is still at the same parking complex. How do you justify that he only went to Renaissance, and he was not using the other businesses around,” Andinwoh said.

Andinwoh is not the only one who got towed. Channel 13 has received multiple emails and calls from upset festival guests.

A viewer told us via email that she drove around the plaza to make sure there were no posted parking signs that prevented her from parking there. She said that she only saw signs that said, “‘not to leave valuables in vehicles,’ there were no tow away signs posted where I parked.”

The viewer said the tow truck drivers are waiting for people to leave their cars before they strike.

“They knew that the fair was happening, and they targeted that area knowing that there was no signage except the one sign off of the entrance off of Eastern and Sunset,” said Denise, another festival attendee.

Channel 13 called the two tow truck companies to get their side of the story.

Kings Towing hung up the phone after we started to ask them questions. We called again, and the operator said they had no comment.

Meantime, Tow Guys said they did nothing wrong and followed all the rules.

When Channel 13 was at the plaza, our crews witnessed several tow trucks driving around the area and reported one car being towed.

Our crews walked up to the driver and asked how many cars they towed and the driver responded by saying, “A lot.”

We also asked the driver if there were enough visible signs, and he said yes.

”There should be more indication to prevent people [to] park...and then all of a sudden give this outrageous bill,” Andinwoh said.

Festival visitors also said they want to warn others not to park at the Park 2000 Shopping Center on the corner of Eastern and Sunset Road.

Channel 13 also drove around different business plazas near Sunset Park. Our crews said other parking lots had yellow caution tape up and multiple signs indicating their cars would be towed if they parked there.

The Nevada Transportation Authority recommends filing a complaint so they can launch an investigation.