Customer upset when his car gets towed

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - They were waiting for a ride on the Moondance and got towed while they were getting ice cream outside Templeton Landing. What's going on here?

You can see people returning to their cars after a sightseeing tour on Lake Erie. While some used the designated parking lot for the tour boat, others parked at Templeton Landing, which only has 83 parking spaces.

Manager Marty Duffany said, "It's been a problem that's been going on here for years and people using our parking lot to visit the other attractions down here, downtown."

A problem because Templeton Landing's paying customers have no place to park and that is a money loser. So they hired Queen City Towing and owner Jerry Williams, just to remind people to read the signs. But manager Marty Duffany told News 4 that when that didn't work, they had to get tough, and started towing.

"They run into our parking lot before we get busy at 5 o'clock or 4, and they fill up the whole back end of the parking lot and run across the street," said Duffany.

Now the towing has led to complaints from patrons like George Carter, who went to the restaurant with family and friends to ride the Moondance, but still got towed.

Carter said, "Paid for our reservation with the Moondance, because it was already parked there, then it sailed, and then we came back and that's when we discovered the vehicle was gone."

Carter had to pay more than $200 to get his car back, but it cost his family a lot more.

"We were looking for the vehicle, and during that time, my wife twisted her ankle, hurt herself. She lost a day's work," said Carter.

Carter believes the car was towed while he was at The Hatch.

Carter said, "Within 15 minutes of us parking, that vehicle was gone. It was good ice cream, though, but it was expensive."

Templeton Landing is owned by Specialty Restaurants of California, which leases the property from the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency. Late Wednesday afternoon, we learned Specialty Restaurants is working with BURA to come up with a resolution for the parking problem.

Duffany says if a customer gets towed in error, bring in the receipt.

"If they have been towed, they could actually come back to the restaurant, and if they produce a receipt, come in to the restaurant. I'm more than willing to work it out. I have in the past," said Duffany.