Flickr.com Photo"Fee splitting" is when a business with a parking lot and a predatory towing company both get a cut of the take, looking upon citizens who happen into lots--often poorly and deceptively marked--as human prey.
According to an article in newsday.com, The good, decent, and visionary legislators who sponsored this law are...
State Senator Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) and Assemblyman Harvey Weisenburg (D-Long Beach). Clearly, in the State of New York there is bipartisan support for stopping predatory towing. Yes, even right before Election Day! But the idea, according to the article, actually came from Oyster Bay Town Clerk Steven Labriola.
Other reform measures in the bill, according to the article:
1.) Listing the name and location of the towing company. (They didn't already do that? Good lord, and I thought New York was leading the curve in most regards. I guess Minneapolis was way ahead of New York on this one)
2.) Lot owners have to be present when a vehicle is towed.
3.) Local governments can have stricter regulations against the lots. (I hope many local governments in New York state take this and run with it!)
The unfortunately-named town of "Hicksville" is mentioned in the article as a place infamous for predatory towing.
Take note of the term: FEE SPLITTING. It's now illegal in New York. It SHOULD be illegal in all 50 States, the terrorities, and (let us not forget) Canada.
But I seriously doubt if the Canadians--whose humane towing practices are the stuff of legend--would ever allow this kind of thing to crop up in the first place.
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