Two Pickerington residents filed a class-action suit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday which claims Shamrock Towing illegally towed thousands of vehicles from "private tow-away zone" lots over the last four years.

Westerville-based Shamrock Towing has illegally towed thousands of vehicles since 2015, a class-action lawsuit filed by two Pickerington residents alleges.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, says signs and contracts that Shamrock relied on to tow vehicles from private lots do not meet the requirements of Ohio laws that regulate towing.

Geoffrey Parker, one of two attorneys from Columbus-based law firm Hilton Parker who filed the suit, estimates that more than 20,000 vehicles were towed illegally — amounting to around $2.5 million in damages.

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One claim states the “private tow-away zone” signs that Shamrock provides to its customers are illegal.

“I can’t imagine how Shamrock could have thought these signs comply with the law,” Parker said.

According to Ohio law, “private tow-away zone” signs must include a “description of persons authorized to park on the property” (such as customers or residents) or, if a description isn’t easily provided, the business name or address of the property to which the lot belongs.

“Shamrock just sends out the same sign to everybody,” Parker said.

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The suit also says that Shamrock towed vehicles without a proper contract. Ohio law requires a written contract between the property owner and the tow-truck company. Shamrock used authorization forms that specifically state they are “not a binding contract of any sort,” according to the filing.

“If you literally say on something, ‘This is not a contract,’ it’s not a contract,” Parker said.

The plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction to prevent Shamrock from towing vehicles from private lots where the signs are insufficient.

Shamrock has 28 days to respond to the suit.

Tim Duffey, president of Shamrock Towing, could not be reached for comment after the specific details of the filing were made public, but he spoke to The Dispatch on Monday in response to ads that Hilton Parker had placed on Reddit to recruit clients who had been towed by Shamrock.

He called the prospect of a class-action lawsuit “totally ludicrous” and said the law firm’s claim probably was fabricated.

“We’ve been in business since 1952, and we try to do it right,” he said. “We go strictly by the book.”

In 2015, Shamrock and another central Ohio towing company, Camcar, settled a class-action lawsuit after a judge ruled they had been illegally overcharging drivers.

jmogan@dispatch.com

@jerrodamogan