Thursday, May 3, 2012

Told You So FOUR YEARS AGO!!!! Cedar Towing In Minneapolis Caught Red Handed In Dirty Practices, Fined By City, Portion Of Towing Operations Suspended...

Photo, blog post by John Hoff

 Four years ago, this blog first reported on concerns about Cedar Towing that were raised at a meeting at a local mosque on the West Bank, click here. Cedar isn't some small, obscure, unscrupulous little operator but the largest towing company in Minneapolis. It is symbolic of the actual and potential abuses in "nonconsensual towing" all over the nation, which was the reason I started this blog. Cedar Towing is now inspiring me to make this blog more active, at least this moment, today.

The Mineapolis Star Tribune is reporting Cedar Towing will pay a $10,000 fine and see its license suspended for 30 days. Reportedly, the company collected over $100,000 in improper fees LAST YEAR ALONE. This article, click here, also outlines what the purported problems were. 

In the settlement, click here for actual settlement document, Cedar Towing doesn't admit it broke any rules. Under the "I didn't break any rules but I'm paying $10,000" settlement, Cedar Towing agrees to suspend its "nonconsensual" towing for 30 days. Cedar can still tow people who request tows. Fair enough, but any decent person should avoid calling this particular towing company after allegations by city officials of such flagrant abuses.

The company is also moving its business to 3527 Dight Avenue.

The Star Tribune reporter who wrote the most recent article, Matt McKinney, is unfortunately not the sharpest tool in the shed based on my own dealings with him. McKinney wrote the company was moving to 3527 Dight Avenue SOUTH. There is no such animal, city records show it's just "Dight Avenue" at that address.

The address in question is listed under a "master address" of 3534 Snelling Avenue, which is owned by one John C. Kemp, with Martin M. Kemp listed as the taxpayer. Martin's address is listed as 2231 Bronson Dr., Moundsview, Minn.