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Queens Woman Says Sign Snafu To Blame For Car Getting Towed

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Ask any New Yorker and they'll tell you parking is no easy task.

Imagine having to shell out big bucks despite leaving your car in a legal spot. Nicole Laveglia has lived and parked on the same block for a decade, but little did she know her car would be towed from a spot she says was legal when she went to bed but illegal when she woke up.

"I came home from the gym parked over there around 8:30 the next morning, my neighbor was knocking on my door around 9 o'clock," the Maspeth resident said. "I saw the car going down the block."

Her car was long gone. In its place were two brand new "No Standing Anytime" signs up instead which she says were installed by the city's Department of Transportation about an hour before she got the boot at 52nd Avenue and 70th Street.

She was slapped with a $185 towing fee as well as a $115 ticket.

"It's a headache, it's a hassle," she said. "I just feel like I was robbed."

The signs were removed from a nearby corner by workers who dug them right out of the ground just a few days later.

"They just said that it was a mistake," Laveglia said.

CBS2 asked the DOT what was being done about her plight, all they would say is that the agency is working with Laveglia to address her concerns.

Meantime, she's left with the tedious task of fighting her parking ticket in court all because of a mysterious mistake.

Laveglia also says she's working with a local council member to get back the money she paid for towing fees.

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