PHILADELPHIA -
FOX 29 gets results for a New Jersey man whose car was towed while he was grabbing a late night meal at a Northern Liberties pizzeria late Saturday night.
"It's gone! It's not there!" said Denis Schmitt of the 2010 Honda Civic he had parked outside Plaza Pizza at Third and Spring Garden streets. "First thing I think of is, 'Somebody stole it!'"
Schmitt's car had been carted away by Lew Blum Towing while he was inside the pizzeria.
Schmitt told FOX 29's Bruce Gordon that he was at Plaza just before 1 a.m. Sunday. In fact, he still has the receipt showing him ordering an extra-large pepperoni pie at 12:54 a.m.
Ten minutes later, at 1:04 a.m., he ordered another pie – extra large, extra cheese.
"During some point," says Schmitt, "I went to the men's room while I was waiting for my order-to-go to be done. I came out of the men's room, I waited, got my order and I left."
His car was gone.
It had been towed by Lew Blum under the premise that parking in the strip shopping center lot that serves the pizzeria is reserved for customers of the businesses there.
Schmitt says he believes the tow truck driver entered the pizzeria and asked if anyone owned the Civic, while he was in the men's room.
The towing receipt says the car was hooked at 12:55 a.m., or 12:58 a.m. – the writing is a little sloppy.
Schmitt called the towing company and explained "that I was a customer in there and the car should never have been towed in the first place," he said.
The response?
"'Too bad, you gotta pay for it, 205 bucks."
Schmitt paid the price and got his car. Then, he called FOX 29.
Gordon paid a visit to Lew Blum's North 40th Street headquarters to plead Schmitt's case and, within the hour, Blum himself called back.
Blum disputed some of Schmitt's story, but agreed to give him the benefit of the doubt. Schmitt will get his $205 back.
