Updated: State Fair of Texas attendees get towed after paying for parking

Updated 08:37 a.m., October 21, 2008

by PegNews wire

A group of fairgoers Saturday went through the usual routine: drive to the Fair Park area, follow the guys in vests waving flags, pay your $10 and park. When they returned to their cars, however, the lot was empty, with only large "No Parking" signs in their place. Eventually the car owners figured out (via nearby business owners or police) that their cars were at the Lone Star Auto Services. (You may remember hearing about their shady practices last May.) They then had to wait in long lines (some apparently waited for five hours) and pay $200 to get their cars back.

Tow companies are regulated by the city's Public Works and Transportation department. Director Ricardo Galceran can be reached at 214-948-4192.

Update: Lone Star Auto Services will be refunding the charges of 26 motorists. The towing company is claiming they have no idea who parked the vehicles and didn't want to refund the money too close to when they were "being called names," thinking it would make them look guilty. (They still look guilty.)

Posted by Laura S.

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Chris Kidd says:

This is why the state need to get involved in a criminal investigation..these guys are out and out crooks and are still allowed to operate all the while the City of Dallas..No wonder Dallas has the label "City Of Hate"

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1 year, 1 month ago
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Pavel Lishin says:

This is the kind of thing I'd set a fire over.

Good thing I hardly ever leave the house.

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1 year, 1 month ago
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Travis Bush says:

Man that is such bullsh*t! The city should either make those lots register, or make it illegal to park in them. The city should also get rid of the unscrupulous towing companies, but I doubt this will happen. Just another reason for the TX/OU game to leave Fair Park and another reason to think Dallas is just a city full of dick moves..If it were my car, methinks I would be returning to find the attendant who took my money. It might not be his/her fault, but hey, the anger has rage has to fall somewhere.

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1 year, 1 month ago
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Scott Doyle says:

So much hate ITT. I'm relatively sure some random dudes not associated with the land owners put on vests, took people's $10, and bounced when the lot was full...wouldn't doubt if it were someone in the towing business so they could screw you twice. Not sure why the city's taking heat, here...

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1 year, 1 month ago
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Ted Howard says:

As someone who used to park cars at a lot my family owned near the fairgrounds, I know how highly regulated the parking is (or at least used to be). When you park at an outside lot, there should be a city issued sign posted with the price, and the person on duty should be wearing/carrying a city issued permit. If you don't see these things, don't park there.

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1 year, 1 month ago
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baroja says:

I posted this on another thread, so I may be violating some sort of protocol, but...

In case anyone is interested, their parent company seems to be a Parking Enforcement Agency of Texas. The principals of the whole entity are Stacey and Kit L. McManus, along with a guy named Phillip G Cox. Apparently Cox and McManus were arrested for the manufacture of methamphetamines in 1994-1995 in Wise County. Kit also pled guilty to a felony in Arkansas in the early nineties. Cox, I believe, if I read correctly, is still on probation in Tarrant county for possession and manufacturing of a controlled substance, the same charge for which he served time in Arkansas as well. Both McManus and his wife Stacey have their place of business at 153 Oak Branch Ct, in Waxahachie. They reside there as well. Mr. Cox resides at 118 Cottonwood Street, in Palmer. I believe, however, that Mr. Cox can be served at 153 Oak Branch Ct.

The registered agent for the towing company, David Wayne Schweng, incidentally, has a felony conviction for laundering drug money as well as possession of a controlled substance. He may be served at the Waxahachie office, the Beeman office, or at, 3045 Park Ln, Unit 1051, in Dallas. Mr. Schweng resides there, with a registered sex offender no less.

I think that it is important that this very publicly available information be put out there, so that in the event that someone decided to file a lawsuit against any of the individuals involved, they would have at least a little bit of the digging done. I also encourage everyone who was wronged to consider filing a suit in small claims court. Chances are these people won't show up. They've spent enough time in courtrooms already.

As a word of caution, however, to the process servers out there, I would remind everyone that these people are convicted felons, drug dealers, and whatnot. There is a good chance that they will find a way to shoot you should you come onto their property unannounced. I would imagine that they'll just about stoop to anything.

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1 year, 1 month ago
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Scott Doyle says:

While I don't have the beef baroja does, in the words of The Hives: <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-fairtowing_14met.ART.State.Edition2.4a7ef30.html">hate to say I told you so</a>.

However, I entirely retract that the city shouldn't take heat over this. For DPD to turn a blind eye while what very likely was a double-dipping scam on part of this towing company is ridiculous. How can they possibly know it's not a criminal matter without snooping around.

Obv it coulda been someone else taking the initial parking, but I'm squinting my eyes in Lone Star's direction until there's reason not to. Good to know at least some kind of official cares enough to investigate. Holy hell, what's this city becoming when the DPD leaves it to the bureaucracy to do their detectives' work?