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Christmas Eve notice of roadwork unfair, say residents after cars towed

PITTSBURGH — Joel Welling says he was one of the lucky ones – his car wasn't towed over the Christmas holiday.

The 20-year resident of Spahr Street in Shadyside says not all of his neighbors were so lucky.

"If you were not here to see the signs, you were hosed," he said.

The Pittsburgh Water-Sewer Authority told Channel 11 that, because of the unseasonably warm weather, they wanted the streets cleared to do road paving, so they posted signs alerting people to move their cars – on Christmas Eve.

Some residents say they left before the Christmas holiday, well before PWSA posted signs letting them know not to park on the street.

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"As soon as they came in, they towed all the cars. So yeah, if I was out of town, I would be pretty (mad) about it," Welling said.

Neighbors who were towed didn't want to talk on camera but told Channel 11 they had $111 parking tickets and nearly $300 towing fees.

Channel 11 reached out to PWSA, which said, "Residents who were unable to move their vehicles have been instructed to contact PWSA so we can reimburse the towing and related fees."

Residents hope the water company keeps its promise.

"I would hope so. It’s not a good season to get your car towed," Welling said. "Not a good Christmas present to come home to."