'Where's my money?': City reviews towing refunds after 13 Investigates
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The City of Houston is reviewing judgments in ParkHouston-related tow hearings to ensure drivers who won are paid what they are owed after 13 Investigates told the city about two drivers who won their hearings but never received their refunds.
On separate occasions, Christina Washington and Tiffany Cooper enjoyed a night out in Houston's Third Ward that ended at the tow yard.
"I came out, car gone. I'm like, 'Got me,'" Washington said.
Both Cooper and Washington were towed, and both paid $303 to get their cars back from the private company the city contracts with for towing services.
13 Investigates found the women did something 99% of Houstonians don't do when ParkHouston authorizes their car to be towed. They filed a request for a tow hearing in the Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts.
City data shows ParkHouston authorized nearly 10,000 tows within a 15-month period from January 2025 through March 2026.
Residents can file for a tow hearing regardless of whether the tow was authorized by a private company or the City of Houston.
13 Investigates looked at just the tows authorized by ParkHouston and found that fewer than 40 people in that 15-month period filed for a tow hearing. That means only 0.4% of ParkHouston-authorized tows were challenged in a tow hearing.
"There are a number of people that pay their money, and they let it go, and they're like, 'I'm done with it, it's over,'" Cooper said. "I'm not doing that."
INTERACTIVE: Search the map below to see the blocks where ParkHouston authorized the most tows between January 2025 and March 2026. On mobile device? Click here for a full-screen experience.
Cooper's vehicle was towed near popular bars in the 2400 block of Wheeler Avenue, which was the statistical hotspot for ParkHouston towing, according to a 13 Investigates analysis of towing data. There were 744 tows in the 2400 block of Wheeler Avenue between January 2025 and March 2026.
The second-hottest spot was right across the South Freeway, in the 1800 block of Southmore, along the Almeda corridor. There were 626 tows in that area in the 15-month period.
The 2000 block of Wichita is third on the list, with nearly 600 tows, where Washington's car was towed, followed by the 1600 block of California with 470 tows and the 1800 block of Center Street with 317 tows.
Both Cooper and Washington told 13 Investigates they thought they had parked in a legal spot.
Cooper was towed in March 2025, and Washington was towed in November 2025.
13 Investigates visited the locations where both women said they were owed, and we saw signs indicating that cars parked there could be towed.
Still, both Washington and Cooper won their tow hearing within about a month of filing them.
In Washington's case, neither the tow company nor the city showed up in court. In Cooper's case, they did show up, and she still won.
In each of their rulings, a judge ordered both women to be reimbursed for the $303 in towing and storage fees they paid to the City's private contractor. The ruling also called for the City to pay back Cooper and Washington's $54 filing fees, but the city said it is up to the private towing company to issue the refunds.
"The tow vendor performs these services on behalf of the City of Houston and pursuant to a contract with the City of Houston. However, the tow company receives the fees; therefore, refunds have historically been paid by the vendor rather than the City," City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs Director Tina Paez said in a statement to 13 Investigates.
13 Investigates gathered information on all towing hearings since 2025 to look for trends, like wins when the tow company and city do not show up versus losses when they do attend.
The results were split down the middle.
But even if you win, the battle isn't always over.
Washington said she spent months chasing the City for her check.
"I won. Where's my money?" she asked.
She got her refund from the company the city contracts with after 13 Investigates reached out to the city.
Cooper won her case more than a year ago, and she is still waiting for her check.
13 Investigates reached out to ParkHouston about Cooper's case last week, and they said that neither the city nor the towing company had received the judge's order.
"We are reviewing the records related to other tow hearings in which the judge ruled in favor of the vehicle owner to verify that all orders were properly received and fully executed," Paez said in a statement.
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