I only wish that list showed the time of day those requests were made. I have no problem if a restaurant/shop finds that people use its lot during business hours, and want those people towed. What I do object to is businesses that have cars towed when people use its lot after they've closed for the day. I mean, they're not taking business from you! You're closed!

Be nice if the list showed abandoned cars and illegal tows.

Even if someone parks during off hours it is private property. I mean would you want someone parking in your driveway without your permission when you aren't using it?

I've seen tows go down in the Chopsticks lot on pretty much every Friday and Saturday night while walking the dog. Unsuspecting Laurelhurst Theater goers are probably the main target. The tow drivers do a quick pull (about 1-2 minutes) and then drive up to 24th street just short of Glisan to do the full hookup. They usually do the full hookup on a wide sidewalk / driveway in front of the garages for the condos (older apartment conversion I think, not new "infill") at Flanders and 24th. I've always wondered why the condo folks never complain about loud idling trucks camped out in front of their place. I also wonder how the tow companies know which cars to target and if they ever take a car when the owner is patronizing the lot owner's establishment. Do they have spotters? Calls from the lot owner?

Even if someone parks during off hours it is private property. I mean would you want someone parking in your driveway without your permission when you aren't using it?

Bad analogy. If I'm away from my house at 7pm, I might be back by 8. When a bank, for example, closes at 6, that's it. They're done for the day--nobody's coming back until 8 or 9 the following morning.

I'd think it's the liability issue that matters here. Who is at risk if you are injured in a business's lot during off hours?

Dave J., adding to Kai's comment. It is beyond "think", it IS a liability issue. Most insurance companies and their underwriters providing liability coverage require "monitoring" of parking lots after hours and even during business hours. And many times they require minimum of $1 Million in coverage. If it was a perfect world and not litigious, and juries start making people responsible for themselves, then I could somewhat agree with you.

"Bad analogy. If I'm away from my house at 7pm, I might be back by 8. When a bank, for example, closes at 6, that's it. They're done for the day--nobody's coming back until 8 or 9 the following morning."

Fine. You work a night shift job. Guy parks there know you work night shift without asking your permission and leaves in the morning before you come home - Still OK?

Don't forget that some property owners also get paid by the towing companies for the right to monitor their lots.

"Do they have spotters? Calls from the lot owner?"

I happen to know a cuople of operators. They basicaly cruise the lots or respond to calls from signs in the parking lot.

I've haven't heard of property owners pay the operators, usually the operators ask to post signs.

NE Community Center sure shows up quite a bit too.

Patrol towing does have one benefit: the people it employs are only an enormous predatory burden to those individuals who take there chances while running their errands. Without it, those cruising operators would probably be indiscriminately victimizing everybody by breaking into cars, spray painting graffiti, running Ticketmaster scams or who knows what else. At least this way they're at least worried about losing their jobs.

616 SW College was visited around 70 times in Feb., "requested" by 6th ave deli, which hasn't operated there in over 2 years. The property was sold about a year ago for development, and the old tow warning sign was never taken down. If the new owner hasn't authorized the towing does the tow company have any legal basis for continuing to seize vehicles from that lot? Is there a registry where the city keeps a copy of which properties have authorized a tow company to patrol their property? I think anyone parking their car there should realize that they are taking a big risk, but at the same time I wouldn't mind seeing some of the PSU students that have been caught there making the predators squirm if they can.

I would not be surprised in the slightest if some of these property owners were given a commission by the tow companies. 70 calls in one month tells me there's more going on than concern for liability.

The "Green Building" is the building where all those food carts are on 12th and Hawthorne. The property owners, plus the May Co. lot owners across the street, must have an excellent deal with the towing companies because they keep it under incredible surveillance.

I'm a regular consumer of Potato Champion's poutine and I can be there for at most an hour and see at least one car towed away from either of those lots. The no-parking sign in the Green Building lot is also not very conspicuous and unlit leading to a lot of the tows I'd imagine.

Some property owners get as much as 60% of the tow fee, depending on the contract and the towing company.

What's with columnists/bloggers in Portland who have a problem with lot owners not wanting strangers parking in their lots? A week ago Steve Duin is coming down on Wizer's for not allowing non-customers to park in his L.O. lot. Now this item. It's part of an entitlement mentality that I don't find very appealing in Portlanders.

I think Duin was more surprised that Witzer, for whatever reason, didn't see the business opportunity for allowing use of his parking lot. It was Witzer's decision to make and we have to respect that, but it seems like such an easy decision to make.

It's like the food carts on 12/Hawthorne. Both those lots, which are 100% empty from 6PM-7AM or so, could be making revenue off the food cart customers. If I owned it I'd work out something where each cart chips in X a month and bam, more parking.