Cars have been disappearing from Gastonia-owned lots, and city officials say it is not some parking mystery, it is the work of a towing company that kept operating even after the state dissolved its business. Now the city is asking a judge to step in.
According to a lawsuit filed this month in Gaston County, Gastonia is suing Jack's Towing and its owner, Marshall Gregory, accusing them of pulling vehicles from city lots without following local rules and then demanding cash to get the cars back. The complaint says workers who identified themselves as Jack's Towing removed at least one car from a downtown lot that did not have the large towing-warning signs required at the entrance, then insisted on a cash-only payment when the driver tried to recover the vehicle.
As reported by The Charlotte Observer, the city says in its complaint that Jack's Towing has “repeatedly failed to comply” with Gastonia's towing rules. The lawsuit describes an incident in which a woman’s car was taken from a lot that did not display the required signage, and staff at the tow yard allegedly refused to accept a credit card when she tried to pay.
Gastonia City Attorney Eric Edgerton told The Charlotte Observer that crews identifying themselves as Jack's Towing were responsible for hauling off the woman’s car and that “they did not accept credit cards and required cash payment.” The lawsuit also relies on court records that show Jack's Towing was administratively dissolved by the North Carolina secretary of state in November 2025 for failing to file an annual report, yet towing activity under the company name continued anyway, according to the filing.
City Alleges Repeated Rule-Breaking
The complaint lays out how Gastonia’s towing ordinances are supposed to work. Tow operators must post large, clear warning signs at every entrance to a parking lot and must accept credit-card payments so drivers are not forced to show up with a wad of cash to reclaim their vehicles. City lawyers say Jack's Towing ignored both requirements.
Instead, according to the lawsuit, the company kept hauling cars from public and private lots around downtown Gastonia, leaving vehicle owners scrambling to figure out where their cars went and how to cover the high recovery fees.
Why The City Took It To Court
Gastonia officials argue that the company’s administrative dissolution makes enforcement more complicated, since the business may no longer be in good standing with state regulators even as crews allegedly keep working under the same name. The city is asking a judge for an injunction that would stop the defendants from towing vehicles in city-controlled lots.
The lawsuit also asks the court to order the return of any impounded vehicles and to require the defendants to hand back any money the city believes was collected improperly from drivers.
What Drivers Can Do If Their Car Vanishes
City officials say anyone who believes their car was towed illegally should document everything at the scene, including taking photos of any posted signs or the absence of signs, then contact Gastonia police to report the tow.
They also note that the lawsuit could help by creating a public record of alleged towing activity, which may make it easier for drivers to track down where their vehicles were taken and whether the fees they paid were legally charged.
The case is set to be heard in Gaston County Superior Court. The complaint was filed at the Gaston County Courthouse at 325 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Gastonia, according to North Carolina Judicial Branch records. City spokespersons have not gone beyond the details in the lawsuit, and the dispute now moves into the local courts as attorneys for both sides get ready to argue it out in front of a judge.
