With Montgomery County feeling the parking crunch, have you been towed after parking in a lot and “walking off” to a different establishment? Or worse, have you seen your car unfairly towed from the lot of the business in which you were shopping?

ABC7 recently highlighted the issue of towing in Montgomery County—30,000 cars last year alone, according to ABC7—and spoke with a family who says their car was unfairly towed. Towing is the No. 1 complaint fielded by the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection, according to the report.

“We really are in crisis mode in Montgomery County with respect to non-consensual towing,” Eric Friedman, Office of Consumer Protection director, told ABC7. “They’re just hiding, waiting for someone to walk away or do something wrong, then they swoop in like a hawk and get their car.”

But enforcing parking policies can provide a safeguard for the business community, merchants say. In Bethesda, where parking is especially scarce following the closure of Lot 31, a major surface parking lot that’s being redeveloped into a parking garage, business owners say they have to be vigilant when it comes to their spaces.

“You have to be aggressive," Tim Merkel, of Bradley Food & Beverage, told ABC7. “Otherwise, your lot is filled up with customers that aren’t coming into your establishment.”

Do you think towing in Montgomery County is an issue, and if so, what should be done about it? Has your car been towed? Tell us in the comments.