Edwards v. Hartford

The plaintiff has appealed from the
judgment of the Court of Common Pleas denying
him damages from the defendants under a complaint
charging false arrest and imprisonment and seeking
recovery of the expense to which he was put in
reclaiming his automobile after it was impounded by
the Hartford police under an ordinance which permits
removal of vehicles parked in prohibited areas. The finding, with such corrections as are
warranted, shows that the plaintiff, an out-of-state
visitor, parked his automobile at a parking meter
on Main Street in Hartford about 4:45 p.m. on April
18, 1956. The space was within an area in which the
parking of vehicles was prohibited from 4:30 p.m.
to 6 p.m. because of heavy traffic conditions.
Shortly after parking, the plaintiff observed that
his automobile was being pushed by a tow car owned
by the defendant Benjamin Webber, a garage owner, and
operated at the time by one of his employees. The tow
car was towing another automobile. Officer William
J. O'Brien had placed a parking violation tag on
[145 Conn. 143]