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An Abbotsford-based car collector is suing EasyPark and Busters Towing, claiming his rare 2008 Cadillac XLR-V was damaged when it was mistakenly towed from a lot and stored outside, where rats made a nest under the hood.

Businessman Rod Ghorashi-Zadeh, a self-proclaimed “car enthusiast,” filed a notice of civil claim in BC Supreme Court on September 4, naming Parking Corp. of Vancouver dba Easypark and All Tech Transport Ltd. dba Busters Towing as defendants.

Ghorashi-Zadeh claims the vehicle was one of only 20 made in 2008 and “was the most expensive vehicle that General Motors had ever produced” with an original price tag of $136,000.

“The XLRV was in immaculate condition,” the claim states. “It looked and smelled new. It had never been driven in the rain.”

He claims he began storing the car at EasyPark’s lot at 900 Denman Street in April 2015 for the “psychological benefit” and “peace of mind” of having his prized vehicle in a location “behind multiple security gates and in an area monitored by an on-site security guard.”

But in September 2017, Ghorashi-Zadeh claims, he got a phone call from a Busters Towing representative informing him that the vehicle had been towed six months earlier and would be sold at auction if he didn’t pay $6,500 in towing and storage the next day.

An EasyPark employee, meanwhile, told Ghorashi-Zadeh that the company issued the towing order for unknown reasons since his account was in good standing.

“At no time has any representative of EasyPark told Mr. Ghorashi-Zadeh why the XLRV was towed,” the claim states.

When he visited the tow yard, he claims, the vehicle was “badly damaged” with a smashed front headlamp and a rats’ nest under the hood. In November 2017, he had the car towed to a dealership at his own expense, and the costly repairs were only partially covered by insurance, he claims.

“Notwithstanding the repairs, because the XLRV was improperly stored and damaged by EasyPark and Busters Towing, the XLRV is now worth a fraction of the value it held before it was towed,” the claim states.

Ghorashi-Zadeh seeks unspecified damages for breach of contract and negligence. The allegations have not been tested or proven in court and the defendants had not responded to the lawsuit by press time.