COLUMBUS (WCMH) — A lawsuit filed against Westerville-based Shamrock Towing claims that every tow the company has performed from a private property tow-away zone since 2015 has been illegal.

The class-action lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of Travis Ellis and Justin Shanahan seeks compensation and punitive damages.

According to the lawsuit, the signs posted by Shamrock Towing after receiving permission to tow from a lot do not meet requirements of a law that took effect in 2015.

“Under that section, a sign cannot create a ‘private tow-away zone’ unless it includes a ‘description of persons authorized to park on the property,'” the lawsuit reads.

The plaintiffs claim that Shamrock’s signs lack those descriptions and do not effectively create private tow-away zones.

The lawsuit also claims that the agreements between property owners and Shamrock are not binding contracts.

“Before beginning to tow from a lot, Shamrock only has the owner sign a ‘Private Property Impound Authorization Form’ that states that it is ‘NOT a binding contract of any sort,'” the lawsuit reads.

Lawyers estimate 33,000 problematic tows were performed by Shamrock over the past four years.

Shamrock issued the following statement after the lawsuit was filed:

My office has represented Shamrock Towing, Inc. for several decades. Shamrock Towing, Inc. is in receipt of the lawsuit filed on August 7, 2019, in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Our office has reviewed the allegations. We find no merit to the allegations. The statute relied upon by the Plaintiffs does not require the results alleged in the Complaint. We will vigorously defend our Shamrock against the unfounded allegations. Erica Ann Probst, Kemp, Schaeffer & Rowe Co.

Tap here to read the entire lawsuit: