Few things make people more angry than finding their car's been towed--especially from right in front of their own house.

Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears has been reporting a series of stories on ambush-style towing in one southwest valley neighborhood.

She's heard from dozens of you wanting to sound off on this issue.

Kelly Hammer says, "For nearly two years, they did nothing about the parking.  I mean, the 'no parking' signs have been there all the time..."

But the restriction was never enforced until one day when red paint went down.

"No notices, no nothing," Hammer remembers.

And cars all across KB Home's Huntington development were towed while residents slept.

"Forcing us to choke up $297 dollars to get it out," says homeowner Dara Jackson.

KB homeowner Grant wrote us to say, "The cost of my tow was $350. The towing company added on a premium for 'after hours.' quite a coincidence considering the whole neighborhood started getting towed 'after hours.'"

The "no parking" signs were already posted along one side of each street to allow emergency vehicles access.

This prompted one viewer to write: "People park on the streets instead of in their garages and driveways and the HOA finally did something about it like they are supposed to."

But others, like Debbie Minkler, dispute the way the enforcement is being handled.

"They lay down a red line, come in that night and tow all our vehicles. They victimized us! they totally victimized us!"

Many of you who wrote to Contact 13 after our report claim you were "blindsided" by the parking restrictions and enforcement style of RMI management.

Anonymous writes, "it seems as if they use strong-arm tactics with residents in communities they manage. Their actions are neither ethical nor conducive to building the kind of community spirit hoped for by residents."

In the Huntington development, all the homeowners association had to do was start enforcing the "no parking" rule by tagging cars parked in the posted zones, giving 48 hours to move, and then towing.

Painting a red line is not required or used by Clark County for fire code enforcement.

All that did was benefit Custom Towing--allowing for immediate tows with no notice.

"You don't just come in ambush style and do this. And the only thing I can think of as to why they'd do it--who's getting a kickback from the towing company?  That's what I want to know. Because that's exactly what it comes off as," says Kelly Hammer.

Another anonymous viewer with a different developer in the Northwest valley, shares the same suspicion, writing, "The association there has also painted the curbs red and no place to park. I talked to a tow truck driver over there and have learned that the association pays them to drive through the tract and tow cars that are parked in the red area... I wonder how much the association's cut is?"

"Oh, it's crazy! It's just crazy!" Minkler says.

And a final thought from another viewer, "I fault KB, the HOA and Clark County for allowing this to happen.  Poor planning on the builder and County's part is no reason for the homeowners to be penalized."

Many of you wonder why the County approved a development with streets too narrow to allow emergency vehicles access along with ample parking.

We plan to ask the County that very question as we continue to explore this issue affecting our viewers valley-wide.

Look for another follow-up in the coming weeks

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