Photos show ‘no parking' signs going up, cars being towed within two hours

SEATTLE — Photos posted on social media show a construction worker putting up a temporary "no parking" sign on a Seattle street after cars were already parked there.

The photos show the cars being towed less than two hours later.

The Reddit post, by a neighbor on East Alder Street, led Seattle police to quickly review what happened, and cancel parking citations and impound fees for four drivers.

"The signs were laying on the ground. There were no signs posted at all and there's probably five other cars parked right here," said Michael DePasquale, who arrived to work on a nearby construction site around 7 a.m.

DePasquale's car was among the four that were towed.

"I had Lojack call me and said your car's been moved," DePasquale said.

To get his car back, DePasquale had to take time off from work, and pay a $200 impound fee.

He was also issued a $47 parking ticket.

The signs were placed by AA Asphalting of Sumner, which was paving after some utility work.

Operations Director Aaron Pollard told KIRO 7 his company had the right permits but the signs were on the ground when his crew arrived Thursday morning.

"We can't anchor these things in concrete," Pollard said. "People knock them down."

Pollard said city officials told him the signs were still valid.

But KIRO 7 checked with both Seattle police and the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Both said the signs must be visible to be valid.

An SPD employee wrote on Reddit that officers were cancelling the four citations and the tow fees, and that "this shouldn't have happened."

SDOT says permit holders should verify the no parking signs are properly in place at least 72 hours beforehand, but cars can be towed with just 24 hours notice.

The city says compliance is mostly on the honor system.

Cox Media Group