A LANDLORD has taken drastic action against a car parked illegally in their driveway.
Dan Smith, a property owner in Seattle, came home to find his driveway blocked by a car2go vehicle.
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Instead of waiting for the car to be moved, Smith declared war by building a barricade around the car with metal posts.
Asad Rasheed, the tenant in the building, and Smith have been plagued by car2go vehicles parking illegally in their driveway. This last incident was the last straw before Smith decided to take the car hostage.
While the car was barricaded, Smith demanded ransom from Share Now, the company that runs car2go.
He requested $65 per day for vehicle storage fees, $300 for the barrier, and around $500 for harassment.
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The car was attempted to be rescued multiple times while trapped in the barrier.
“People are not made aware of where to park, where not to park and how to use them,” said Rasheed. “This is a common occurrence. This happens once a month, once every two months. You see cars parked there.”
Rasheed and Smith were allegedly cursed at on multiple occasions by car2go customers who were trying to utilize the vehicle.
Seven car2go customers attempted to rent the vehicle the day after it was barricaded into the driveway according to KIRO 7.
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Share Now fleet employees attempted to recover the vehicle but were concerned about moving the barriers.
The feud lasted for three weeks and didn't end until lawyers will involved. Smith and Share Now were able to reach a settlement regarding the incident.
Share Now did cover the ransom cost of the fence, but Smith did not demand the fees that he initially requested. The settled amount was not disclosed, but Smith walked away happy regarding the resolution to the situation.
“I’m relieved. It’s just nice to have it over with, you know. And I think everybody, they grew and learned, and that’s the important thing," Smith said.
Share Now also released a statement following the incident reminding their customers not to park in people's driveways.
“Share Now would like to remind our members that we have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to the unauthorized parking of our vehicles. And we will continue to hold members who are found doing so accountable.”
Car2go and ShareNow went out of business soon after this incident. Their tenure in North America struggled to remain profitable despite a claimed 148,000 customers in Seattle alone.
The company was backed by BMW and offered short-term rentals of luxury cars, but had issues staying relevant in a market dominated by ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft.
Smith said he planned to install tow warning signs around the property and would tow future offenders, but it looks like he wont have that issue anymore.
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