Group Buying and Coupons: All Patented Up!

Towing Company Feels The Streisand Effect After Suing A College Kid For $750k

from the tow-trucking dept

Mon, Apr 19th 2010 5:21pm — Dennis Yang

Many readers have submitted the the story about a Kalamazoo towing company who is suing a college student for $750,000 for defamation of character and libel. Justin Kurtz started the "Kalamazoo residents against T&J Towing" group on Facebook earlier this year after his car was allegedly towed under shady circumstances. The Facebook group quickly grew to a few thousand Kalamazoo residents in about a week. In an attempt to quash the negative comments on the group's page, T&J filed the suit, which then garnered the group even more attention thanks to posts on Consumerist and Jalopnik. Now, at over 10,000 members, the group is over 1/7th the total population of Kalamazoo itself. Once again, another company is starting to learn that using lawyers in an attempt to silence criticism can have the exact opposite effect. The Streisand Effect Hall of Fame continues to rack up inductees.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: defamation, kalamazoo, libel, streisand effect

34 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 5:28pm

A towing company doing shady things!? Never!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 5:32pm

and in other news, kalamazoo towing company t&j reports that business is up 40% since the internet affair. they couldnt afford this much marketplace exposure.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:22pm
  
  Re:
  That percentage isn't real.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:23pm
    
    Re: Re:
    think of it as an onion story. we dont know the reality and likely never will. any publicity can be good publicity at least in masnick world.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Bob Vila, 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:31pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      I've read more than a few articles here and I don't remember him ever saying "any publicity can be good publicity".
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:52pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        TAM happens to be factually challenged.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 7:13pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        hi mike.
        
        http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090615/0242335232.shtml
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 9:09pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Not all exposure is equal, but good effort.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 9:37pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        You know what they say, all publicity is good publicity :)
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:58pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      You do realize this article wasn't written by Masnick?
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:59pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        did i say it was written by the masnick? no.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 8:11pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        You implied it.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 8:13pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        where?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 9:41pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        "any publicity can be good publicity at least in masnick world."
        
        Why change the subject unless you were directing the comment to Mike because you thought it was his post.
        
        Face it, you thought it was Mike posting, and now you're denying it. but you have a history of being dishonest, so no one should give you the benefit of the doubt.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2010 @ 5:29am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        masnick world, aka how the boss sees it. i didnt suggest mike wrote it. in fact i was poking third stringer dennis for not following his bosses views of the world in posting. i think you are being way too picky, especially considering you are wrong.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2010 @ 11:30am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Says the mirror!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        The Groove Tiger (profile), 21 Apr 2010 @ 2:06am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        i guess in tam world, everybody else lives in masnick world. does that mean tam world is devoid of intelligent life?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - meyek (profile), 20 Apr 2010 @ 5:17am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      as a kalamazooan who has not personally had dealings with t&j, i've heard nothing at all good about them. i know at least three people who had their cars moved despite being legally and properly parked. i believe they have a contract with wmu, and get the bulk of campus area towing business.
      
      i don't think that anyone's car should be towed for improper parking until a ticket is issued by an accountable parking authority.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Free Capitalist (profile), 20 Apr 2010 @ 8:12am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        as a kalamazooan
        
        Thank you, I have wondered just how one from Kalamazoo properly referenced himself as such. (Not Kalamazooian or Kalamazooweegan) Good luck with those t&j bastards.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - kiki, 31 May 2010 @ 6:12am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      this is a real story, it's been in local news (print and tv) and the Detroit Free Press. Several people have added their own experiences, all bad, with T&J Towing. Many of them had the same thing happen to them---parked LEGALLY and had their parking stickers removed from their cars (in apt. complexes where they lived), damage done to some cars due to the tow. The towing company doesn't take credit cards, cash only and does NOT give change back, at a cost of $118. to get the car back. Go to the Facebook page for Kalamazoo Residents Against T&J Towing. The towing company is suing Justin, who started this group, for libel saying that Justin is ruining his business. After you see all the accounts of other incidents with T&J it'll be clearer. Many businesses who had them do towing have quit using them. The Facebook group is not counting on the BBB to "solve" this problem, just making it aware of T&J's business practices, or the lack there of.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 9:31pm
  
  Re:
  I'm rather curious to know how a towing company can have an increase in 40% of their business.
  
  Do you mean that a whole slew of people suddenly started crashing their cars because, well gee, the poor towing company clearly needs a bailout?
  
  Or do you mean that they suddenly went on a rampage and erroneously towed 40% more parked cars to fuel their anger?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 9:47pm
    
    Re: Re:
    "Do you mean that a whole slew of people suddenly started crashing their cars because, well gee, the poor towing company clearly needs a bailout?"
    
    Well, I suppose it could mean that a bunch of people who crashed their cars anyways suddenly decided to call this towing company, in opposed to a competitor, because they felt that this particular company needs a bail out :)
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - %, 20 Apr 2010 @ 5:21am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      "in opposed" ?
      
      Use of pecentage can be deceiving.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2010 @ 3:53pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      As a non-American, I'm not really sure how your car insurance system works, but I highly doubt that anyone bothers to remember the number of the towing company. If they have that number on speed-dial, then there is a whole other issue at play here.
      
      Now, if the police or the insurance companies decided to start using these guys based on this bad publicity, then you've got a huge mess to start wading through.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Kiki (profile), 31 May 2010 @ 6:25am
  
  Re: t&j towing
  That business is not telling the truth. Since their business practices have been exposed, by several people who had their cars towed, many apt. complexes, businesses, etc. who used t&j have dropped them. This towing company tows cars that are LEGALLY parked, removes parking stickers (since they also do lock out services) from windshields and tows the car based on it being illegally parked. Then they hold the car for "ransom" at $118. and do NOT carry cash to make change. I think I read they don't take credit cards, there are a lot of different articles about this out now. The towing company owner is suing the creator of the Facebook group Kalamazoo Residents Against T&J Towing claiming the posts on FB are ruining his business and has now become a first amendment lawsuit. Since that group formed, which now has over 12,000 members from all over the world, word has gotten out on how bad T&J is. Check out the group and see all the complaints vs the towing company. Some comments are not all that constructive but are in support of Justin, some are experiences other people have had with this particular towing company.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Zauber Paracelsus (profile), 19 Apr 2010 @ 6:36pm

A lot of companies these days seem to use the practice of "shoot first, ask questions later" when it comes to filing lawsuits. And they're learning the same lesson that Creative Lab has learned: think about the consequences before you litigate.

Some lawyers may be upset with the above statement, but only because they benefit from such behavior.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Joe Harkins, 19 Apr 2010 @ 7:50pm

The Lincoln Park Pirates
Back in the late 60s early 70s, I was, at first the floor manager / doorman / bouncer at the Earle of Old Town in Chicago. Among the stellar performers was Stevie Goodman who was then a college sophomore and John Prine who was still a mailman out in Oak Park. I think it was Steve, though it might have been John who wrote the song "The Lincoln Park Pirates" that was requested every time they performed. The Lincoln Park Towing Company's people were notorious for taking down the required warning signs and them lurking until a unsuspecting victim would walk away from his car.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 19 Apr 2010 @ 8:23pm
  
  Re: The Lincoln Park Pirates
  I love John Prine! I've never heard another human being even mention his name. Crazy as a Loon has become my personal anthem, the one song I play obsessively during my commute to hell and back every day.
  Crazy As A Loon
  
  � John Prine & Pat McLaughlin
  Back before I was a movie star
  Straight off of the farm
  I had a picture of another man's wife
  Tattooed on my arm
  With a pack of Camel cigarettes
  In the sleeve of my tee shirt
  I'm headin' out to Hollywood
  Just to have my feelings hurt
  That town will make you crazy
  Just give it a little time
  You'll be walking 'round in circles
  Down at Hollywood and Vine
  You'll be waitin' on a phone call
  At the wrong end of a broom
  Yes, that town'll make you crazy
  Crazy as a loon
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
btr1701 (profile), 19 Apr 2010 @ 8:04pm

Discovery
If this company really is as shady as it seems, then suing the kid is doubly idiotic. First, because of the already noted Streisand Effect. And second because once a civil suit is filed, both parties are entitled to discovery, which means the kid will be entitled to a court order forcing this company to open its records and files for his inspection. Something tells me that's the last thing this towing company wants.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
mike allen (profile), 19 Apr 2010 @ 11:37pm

the
the correct quote is I dont care what the press say as long as they spell my name correctly only i forget qho said it. As for TAM I have found that old ZX81 and it is ready to transplant into your head. Just call my office and head to the nearest rat infested place near you (must be one) then we can go ahead.Then after you will be cured of all you problems.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2010 @ 5:30am
  
  Re: the
  there are no tam posts here.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Apr 2010 @ 11:31am
    
    Re: Re: the
    Just another troll.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Dan, 20 Apr 2010 @ 12:57am

Handbags!
Well I would've commented on dodgy car clamping companies is Cornwall, England, but you lot moan a bit at each other don't ya! Leave it!
If you had proof that your car had been clamped or towed illegally, would the law stand behind you if you forced your way into an impound to get it back or used an angle grinder to remove a clamp? It's something I've seriously considered if/when it happens to me.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Gwiz, 26 May 2010 @ 11:50am

Pretty new here....what is TAM?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]