TowingUtopia

Yes, Towing Utopia Dot Com Is Still Alive...

2010-06-21T22:40:00.002-05:00

This blog entered a long period of inactivity because it just wasn't possible to put the time into it which the issue needed. Recently, I've become convinced that I must find a way to return to putting up content on this blog and drumming this issue but, well, it's a matter of how to pull that off.

Thinking. Thinking.

An Open Letter To President Obama (Stopping Predatory Towing Is A Clever And Amazingly Cheap Policy Tweak)

2009-01-20T18:48:00.016-06:00

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Dear President Obama,

I'm sure a gazillion editorial writers all have suggestions for you, and something like this blog post is likely to get lost in the shuffle like...car keys in half-frozen Minnesota slush. But what you said today about George Washington at Valley Forge made me think, well, I have to at least TRY to make my country a little better....

I'm hoping this blog post might somehow get to one of your low-level administration officials, a congressional or senate aide, SOMEBODY who sees the sense in this assertion: Some "policy tweaks" can really help the people of the nation and its economy, but don't cost much money at all. Regulating predatory towing is one such policy tweak.

What Predatory Towing Costs The Nation

The loss of a vehicle--even temporary--keeps individuals from getting to work. It creates chaos in personal schedules, and then concentric rings of chaos which ripple into society. Somewhere, a nurse doesn't show up for work, and another nurse has to work overtime, stressed out, more prone to make mistakes. Somewhere a teacher doesn't make it to school and a substitute teacher--sincere, but less skilled and prepared--has to fill in for half of the day. The students suffer. And so forth.

(Geez, Mr. President, this really reminds me of the poem read at your inauguration, but in a negative way. Yes, "somewhere somebody patches a tire." YES, BECAUSE A TOW TRUCK DRIVER DRAGGED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL MILES WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED, CLICK HERE. Oh, gee, turns out that particular tire problem can't be patched)

This chaos caused by the towing of vehicles might be something society could absorb, because parking rules must be enforced, and a lack of parking creates its own chaos. But here's the problem: there is overwhelming documentation that some towing companies--certainly not all--engage in abusive, predatory practices. And it has only gotten worse in the current tough economy. And, like you said...things will get worse before getting better.

The recovery rates for impounded vehicles are shocking. We're grabbing cars from poor people and selling the vehicles for scrap, or shipping the cars to Mexico for pennies on the dollar. People who have nowhere left to live but their car suddenly have nowhere left to live but under a bridge. All of this is because we don't place a high enough priority on clever, high-tech solutions. Why shouldn't Americans be notified by cell phone or Blackberry (I know you love your Blackberry, Mr. President) of an impending tow?

Why shouldn't Americans be told "move it or lose it" before having their car seized and held hostage? Or at least have regulation which requires--good grief, Mr. President--reasonably visible signage?

An Uprising Among Some Vehicle Owners

Sir, recently there have been instances of rebellion and protest around this issue. There has been violence as some vehicle owners--pushed to the absolute limit--fight back against tow truck operators.

It really doesn't have to be this way. States already have the ability to regulate towing operations in sensible ways, but many just don't. Worse, there is evidence the dirty money which comes from aggressive, predatory towing gets into city politics, as we see in places like Springfield, Massachusetts. This blog has been documenting the problem for months, in numerous states.

Some Clever Policy Tweaks Are Cheap

I'd like to compare what I'm suggesting to something which happened under the Clinton Administration. In a bipartisan effort, the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act was passed. It's a sensible law which allows restaurants and grocery stores to donate food to soup kitchens, food banks, homeless shelters, etc. and be protected from liability as long as they make the donations with "normal care."

Just by casting a shield of protection from liability, this law has managed to shake loose all kinds of donations to hungry people, just like that! With the stroke of a pen. It's not only good politics, but very FRUGAL politics.

Towing regulation can happen in the same way. Just by making sure drivers aren't abused by towing operators, and don't lose their vehicles willy-nilly because of abuses, you can keep people participating in the economy and prevent many personal disasters.

Sure, when people voted for you, predatory towing was probably the last thing on their minds. But people are expecting you to be CLEVER, for your administration to pull some kind of amazing miracle from somewhere and help turn the economy around.

This suggestion small, but this will help.

Please, Mr. President, do something to help stop the economic damage and abuses to individual Americans caused by the well-documented problem of predatory towing.

P.S. If you like this idea, sir, I've got another clever policy proposal in regard to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" which I call "Fortresses of Englightment."

Standard Post Addendum:

(Click here for list of various regulatory tactics. Click here for website of Compiled Logic, a company involved in solving these complex problems associated with "non-consent towing" issues)

Thumbnail Summary Of Regulatory Tactics Directed At Predatory Towing

2009-01-11T23:44:00.040-06:00

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This post is intended for the researcher or policy-maker seeking a road map or thumbnail summary of regulatory tactics used by cities, states and counties seeking to curtail predatory towing practices...

For simplicity, I will list the various tricks and provide a link with each example.

1.) Outlaw "patrol towing." The practice known as "patrol towing" takes place when the owner of a parking lot gives a towing company free reign to tow unauthorized vehicles, without the need to call about particular vehicles.

Unscrupulous, "bad apple" towing companies will engage in abusive behavior when given such free reign, even towing legally parked vehicles because abuses are usually difficult to prove. Some will actually station "spotters" in parked vehicles or trees to catch as many cars as possible. Because "patrol towing is so rife with abuse, some states such as California have outlawed it, click here.

2.) Outlaw or severely restrict "booting" of cars. Often, booting is more lucrative than towing vehicles. Ransoms can be demanded on the spot, but because each ransom requires a confrontation between booter and driver, violence will happen sooner or later. Cities such as Minneapolis have outlawed booting except in very small lots where tow trucks can't maneuver, click here for link.

3.) The "Let People Get Their Stuff" law, click here. This law allows people to recover items from their towed vehicles (medicine, children's photos, their wallets, for crying out loud) without having to pay to get the vehicle out of impound, for the sake of mercy and human decency.

I've actually had some difficulty nailing down whether this bill passed in Minnesota, because there was so much controversy with that particular transportation bill, and any reporting on this issue was lost in the shuffle. Even Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman was unable to answer my follow-ups about whether the bill he wrote about actually passed.

HOWEVER, a recent trip to the Minneapolis impound lot to recover my stolen van, and some questions I asked there, led me to the conclusion the law did indeed pass or, in the alternative, Minneapolis has altered its policies to "let people get their stuff." This is a great law and should be adopted nationally.

4.) Require towing companies to take checks and credit cards, not just cash. California, which has some of the most highly-developed anti-predatory towing laws in the nation, click here, is one place that outlaws "cash only."

5.) Require impound lots to be reasonable distances from the places where cars are towed. Hawaii, for example, requires this, click here. (Of course, somebody in Hawaii has found a loophole, and it's called "Sand Island.")

6.) Mandatory drop, or greatly reduced fees. If the driver gets to his/her vehicle before the tow truck leaves the lot, a greatly reduced towing fee is required, or even a "free drop." Once again, Hawaii requires this, click here, but this is a fairly common rule around the country. It prevents violence and it is reasonable that a "drop" should cost less than an impound.

7.) Regulating signage. Many traps are laid for the unwary because of unclear, confusing, missing or deliberately deceptive signage. Kansas City, Missouri has been forced to address the issue of bad signage, click here, but once again this is a very common form of towing regulation.

8.) Caps, caps, caps. Everything from the price of the tow, to the daily and HOURLY impound lot storage fee, to where tows can take place and how often, all these things can be capped and regulated. Portland has capped towing fees, click here.

9.) One-hour rule. In California, a vehicle must be illegally parked FOR AN HOUR before being towed, click here. (There are exceptions for vehicles presenting an immediate safety hazard)

10.) Outlaw kick-backs. Please note, this list is NOT in order of importance. Outlawing kickbacks is very important, and if the list were ranked, it might be at No. 1 or No. 2.

"Kickbacks" happen when the owner of a parking lot gets a cut from the various vehicles towed from that lot. Such incentives inevitably lead to abuses. Florida, for example, is a state which outlaws towing kickbacks, click here.

11.) A towing "commission" or "authority." Though I have only a limited amount of faith in this tactic, many jurisdictions have such entities, such as Falls Church, Virginia, click here. The problem with such commissions seems to be "political horse-trading" which takes place prior to their creation. In throwing a bone to powerful towing interests, these commissions are created as relatively toothless entities.

12.) Sting operations directed at predatory towing. Asheville, North Carolina may have saved its reputation as a worthwhile "destination city" by using this tactic, click here.

13.) "Humane and merciful" short towing. Some cities such as Montreal and Madison, Wisconsin deal with snow emergencies by towing non-compliant cars to places where parking is legal instead of impounding the cars, click here, (Montreal) and here (Madison). In Albany, New York, police were actually running plate numbers and BANGING ON THE DOORS OF HOMES to avoid towing citizens, click here.

Cars subjected to "humane and merciful" short tows are apparently still given a ticket and charged for the short tow, but the charges are still much less than being impounded.

14.) Tows must be documented. In California, before a car can be impounded it must be photographed to show how it was non-compliant, and (apparently) the condition of the car prior to being towed, click here.

15.) System transparency, jurisdictions sharing info, modern rather than archaic information systems.

It is essential for jurisdictions to share information with each other so cars can be located in the system, especially stolen cars. Police, insurance companies, owners and tow truck drivers all need to be able to track vehicles. (Police sometimes solve obtain clues to crimes this way, though this is something of an added bonus)

Increasingly, attempts are being made to link as many jurisdictions as possible and create a kind of national network. Here's a recent article in the much-respected "Police Chief Magazine," click here, which talks about those efforts. The author of the article, Ron Smith, works for a company called Compiled Logic of Houston, Texas which helps jurisdictions cost-effectively manage their towing information systems.

16.) Raising consciousness, fighting back against abuses. If you are subjected to predatory towing, don't be silent. Contact this blog through the comments function or by email (hoff_john@yahoo.com) Find the company which mistreated you online, and write a scathing review. File a complaint with your state attorney general, consumer affairs division. Write to your city, county and state authorities.

Rip Off Report Dot Com is a particularly good place to make the record. When somebody Googles the name of the towing company, the "rip off report" will come up, as well.

WRITE TO YOUR SENATOR OR CONGRESSMAN and reference this blog, and ask for renewed federal regulatory action to stop predatory towing but--and this is really important--require jurisdictions to share information and create a seamless national web of information to locate missing cars. Nationally, it is estimated 25 percent of impounded cars are not claimed. This is something we can't afford!

Use this blog to educate yourself about predatory towing patterns and solutions by going through these posts and reading up. I'm just one guy with a blog. I drive really crummy cars. There's only so much I can do, but because of small efforts like this, public consciousness about predatory towing is growing and it will surely have national consequences. Already, there have been protests and uprisings, click here. Political candidates have been elected partially because of these issues, click here.

This is a modern civil rights movement; your right to the freedom, property ownership and pursuit of happiness represented by your precious, beloved car. There is plenty of opportunity to play a role in this movement; even a small role represented by a few emails, photographs, or online comments.

We are Americans, and Americans love their cars. When somebody kidnaps your car and holds it ransom on flimsy pretenses, why, that's just un-American!

It's time for Americans to fight back against abusive and predatory towing.

Dallas Is Filling Its Impound Lots With Seized Cars

2009-01-11T15:39:00.015-06:00

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The City of Dallas made good on its threat to enforce an "uninsured motorist ordinance," and has reportedly been seizing cars on a massive scale, according to this article from Channel 11 in Dallas, click here.

In the first nine days of 2009, Dallas police...

...reportedly towed 256 cars. This does not include vehicles towed from accident sites, so that would be mostly seizures. Drivers who are pulled over simply lose their cars if they don't have insurance. They rack up a fine, towing charges, and $20 a day for impound fees.

There are certainly much better incentives to make drivers buy insurance, incentives which don't hurt people so badly in a tough economy. Dallas is driving down the wrong road, and if Dallas thinks there won't be political "push back" from all those upset drivers--poor and uninsured, though they may be--then Dallas is collectively out of its mind.

It is sad and frustrating to see some cities making sensible progress, click here for an example, but then to see such brutal, regressive practices spring up in a major city like Dallas. You have to wonder "WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!" And why do citizens just knuckle under, like that, and swallow such abuses?

Directing Attention Toward Solutions, Not Just Gripes

My little saga with Towing Utopia began with the seizure of my van in Minneapolis during a snow emergency, click here, and my sense of violation and my certainty there is something fundamentally wrong with the system if vehicles are being seized because--good grief--SOMETIMES IT SNOWS IN MINNESOTA, SURPRISE, SURPRISE.

My goal in 2009, as I stated in this blog post, click here, is to figure out how to give this website a greater impact. Having my van seized AGAIN--this time because it was stolen and recovered--and having to make a trip to the impound lot AGAIN made me think, "What am I doing wrong? What am I doing right? How can I do better?"

Therefore, I have decided every one of my blog posts--EVERY ONE OF THEM--will have two things at the end.

1.) A link to a post suggesting regulatory steps cities commonly undertake to stop predatory towing practices. I have not yet written this blog post, but I will.

In the meantime, some fairly common regulations include: limits on how far vehicles can be towed, regulation of parking lot signage, and prohibitions on "cash only" policies. Anything cities can do to make their systems transparent--to make it possible for all concerned parties to track vehicles on the internet, and have a record of the facts and fees--is particularly good.

Archaic "cash and carbon paper" systems have to go the way of the do-do bird, or citizens will inevitably be abused.

2.) A link to Compiled Logic, click here, a company in Houston, Texas that helps cities solve their towing problems with high tech solutions. This company works closely with reputable towing companies, cities, police departments, etc.

They're businesspeople, not bloggers, so I hope they won't mind unsolicited free publicity.

In my experience, Ron Smith of Compiled Logic is a pretty great guy, super friendly as a good salesman should be. So I don't think he'll mind.

I'll do this because Compiled Logic has some high tech solutions for more transparent, less abusive towing systems. In 2009, I want anybody who stumbles on this blog (while investigating these predatory towing issues) to instantly have an answer to this question:

"Where can my city go to get some help with this problem besides writing about it on a blog?"

Christian Science Monitor Calls Predatory Towing A Source Of National Conflict, Cites THIS BLOG!!!!

2009-01-08T20:34:00.027-06:00

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It's official: predatory towing is causing "tension" and "conflict" on a national scale. So says the Christian Science Monitor, click here for the article, and this blog was cited in the story...

I was interviewed by the reporter for over an hour, and I can see a lot of my influence in what he wrote, but more so this blog's influence. In fact, I learned the reporter had spent HOURS reading numerous stories linked in these various posts...including my parody song, "Paint It Red."

The reporter, Patrik Jonsson (it's Swedish,he told me) starts the article in style, citing the situation in Orlando where Paul Gren's questionable practices have been used to fund a personal fleet of customized Harleys. (I'm convinced the reporter learned about Gren from this blog, and I made a point of mentioning Gren and his Harley Davidson fetish)

He next mentions Palm Desert, where drivers have been arrested for committing auto thefts by use of tow trucks.

THEN he starts talking about Asheville, North Carolina, where there was (good heavens) a STING OPERATION against predatory towing, something a lot more cities need to copy.

And the story sticks to Asheville for a long time, basically holding up Asheville as an example.

The moral, according to authorities in Asheville? So-called "destination cities" can't afford to become known as havens for predatory towing. Word gets around. Just ask the Cotton Bowl folks in Dallas, or the Crayfish Boil organizers in Alabama.

A Valuable Nugget Of Information Dropped About Asheville, NC

In talking to the reporter, I learned something interesting: though "tourism bureau" and "chamber of commerce" people were credited with raising the alarm, Jonnson said it was actually police officers who "spent one too many nights trying to keep children warm in the back of their squad cars, while their parents tried to recover their car." These Asheville police officers were actually the ones who first raised the alarm, behind the scenes, about predatory towing in their community.

Balanced--Toward Justice!

Since most readers will never get to the bottom of the article (trust me, I taught journalism) the article may very well be "balanced" by its use of an expert from the towing industry near the end, and a professor who wags his finger at bad city planning, but overall the article mostly comes off as a "wake up call" about an emerging national problem caused by poorly regulated towing companies engaging in shady practices.

One blog devoted to the towing industry tried--with feigned hopefulness--to characterize the article as "balanced." (Click here for that blog post) Yeah, it was balanced. It was balanced toward the cause of JUSTICE and LIBERTY, and not PREDATORY TOWING.

Not Just Data, Some Solutions

The article mentions Ron Smith of Compiled Logic, who I interviewed for a Minnesota Daily opinion column about predatory towing near the beginning of this new direction in my lifelong activism, click here.

Yes, Smith's company tracks data about non-consensual towing, but that's purely secondary to their goals. Compiled Logic makes its money by helping cities solve their towing problems without breaking city budgets, by use of high tech solutions. In fact, Smith seems to have either coined or played a big role in promulgating the terms "non-consensual towing" and "towing life cycle."

The article mentions how "a quarter of all towed cars are never claimed" due to "jurisdictional issues" and "lack of transparency in the system." Well, I'm confident the reporter got that number from Smith, though Smith pulls a lot of his data together from various police agencies. It's a shocking number. As a society, we can't afford to be this inefficient. People need their cars to participate in the economy.

I swear, I'm going to write an open letter to President Obama.

Dude, Donde Esta Mi Autocoche?

The reporter was interested in where all the cars end up, though that didn't end up in his article. We spent a lot of time talking about the tendency of cars to get scrapped, chopped down for parts or--and this was something the reporter found very interesting, though it didnt' end up in the article--end up in Mexico.

I told the reporter "large metal objects do not just disappear off the face of the earth. There's no evidence of time/space wormholes on the surface of our planet. That can't happen."

Towing Utopia Dot Com's Greatest Day...So Far!

This article represents the pinnacle of months of effort at consciousness-raising.

But there's a long way to go before Congress acts, or before states, cities and counties all start waking up to towing abuses. The problem of jurisdictions failing to share data about impounded vehicles--causing a quarter of all cars to be unclaimed--is a huge problem and a huge inefficiency in our struggling economy. It could have easily happened to me after my van was stolen last month, click here. Honestly, I think only the glitch in my starter system caused the van to be recovered a mere 7 blocks away.

So this blog has come a long way, baby. But there's a long road ahead.

Asheville, North Carolina Shines A Light On Predatory Towing

2009-01-03T22:23:00.006-06:00

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Ever since All-Safe Towing & Recovery employees were arrested in a sting operation, towing cars they shouldn't have been towing, media scrutiny of the company has been intense...

In fact, the company is under so much scrutiny that local media wrote a story about the fact the company had changed locations, moving closer to downtown Asheville from "151 W. Haywood St. near River Road" because their lease on the property had "ended."

Yeah, "ended." That could mean a lot of things.

Normally, a business changing locations wouldn't merit this kind of media attention, but the tone of the story, click here, makes it clear the media isn't buying, at face value, the owner's explanation this move was routine and "nothing to (do?) with what's been going on."

What's surprising to me is the owner's claim he's been hired to "patrol two more downtown lots."

I'd love to know what Asheville businesses would hire these chumps, and I hope the reporter for this story, Jason Sandford, keeps digging.

My Stolen Van Ends Up At The Minneapolis Impound Lot (Info About Auto Theft Victims Compensation Fund)

2009-01-03T20:41:00.016-06:00

Photo By John Hoff

Because this involved North Minneapolis crime, and happened to me personally, I...

...already blogged about this colorful episode at my other site, The Adventures of Johnny Northside. On that blog I had a bit of cathartic fun discussing the theft of my van, then its quick recovery, then those uncertain moments before retrieval at the impound lot when I didn't know if I was picking up my vehicle in one piece...or a claiming a charred hunk of metal.

The Minneapolis Crime Watch blog took note of my van theft episode, and described my posting as "full of snark," which was a compliment...um, I think.

But this blog, Towing Utopia Dot Com, is more about systemic reforms, especially the reduction of predatory towing. Yes, I have some fun, but my aim is very public policy-oriented, so I stick close to the nitty-gritty of towing. No need to go into detail about, for example, how it felt to find the rock which had busted my van window STILL IN MY VAN.

Leaving all that aside...and keeping in mind the full, colorful story of the van theft can be found on my other blog, along with a posting about some sensible security precautions I have taken in the wake of this incident, here are my not-overly-harsh, very helpful, policy-oriented critiques of the Minneapolis towing and impound system in light of this golden opportunity to put myself in the shoes of an auto theft victim.

Hey, wait...those are my shoes.

1.) Why was my van towed in the first place?

My vehicle was recovered the next day, a mere 7 blocks away at 2700 Dupont Ave. N.

In driving past this location, I note that anywhere it would have been parked was legal parking. According to the police report, officers simply ran the plate (probably having seen the broken window on the driver's side) and found the vehicle was "hot." So they called for an impound.

Why? Why didn't somebody just call me to retrieve my van? I seriously doubt the CSI folks were taking fingerprints off the steering wheel when I was told this was most likely juveniles on a gang-initiation joy ride.

2.) By what miracle was I informed about the Auto Theft Impound Fund?

The officer who called to tell me about the recovery of my van told me, verbally, about the Auto Theft Impound Fund. So I knew to ask at the impound lot. The clerk at the impound lot had to walk back to a little wooden shelf...she seemed to be sighing at the effort and exertion I was putting her through...and gave me a photocopied flier with some rudimentary information about the Auto Theft Impound Fund, and the steps I needed to take for compensation.

One step was to call Police Records to document the fact I'd made a report about the stolen vehicle. (612-673-2961)

"You don't have a copy of the report here?" I asked, and she looked at me like I must be just a bit soft in the head, to think the report about a stolen van would be in the same place as, well, the stolen van itself.

I had the sense if I hadn't asked about the Auto Theft Impound Fund, I never would have been told. I would have been an auto theft victim, now victimized TWICE: one by car thieves, once by the impound lot.

3.) Show me the money!!!!

I called up the City Attorney's Office for the form to seek compensation for the tow. (612-673-3549) Two things are required: proof I filed a police report, and proof the vehicle had insurance. I have both pieces of documentation ready to go, but I'm still waiting for the form.

Seriously, they have to MAIL it to me? With a STAMP? Made from the flesh of dead trees? Honestly, they can't email it to me as an attachment?

The police department records unit was able to send me my police report in an email...at least the "public portion" of the report, which was perfectly adequate. Why can't they email me this form I need to request compensation? I'd have the thing completed and mailed back by now.

On the bright side: there is a fund to compensate auto theft victims for towing, and somehow the system managed to provide me the information. I have nothing but praise for police officers who can recover a stolen vehicle in 24 hours. It's not like El Paso, Texas, where cars ended up across the river and you'd see the Mexican police driving what used to be your sports car.

4.) What about other jurisdictions?

My van only went seven blocks. Not only did it stay in the same city, but it stayed in the Hawthorne Neighborhood of North Minneapolis, and within the same police precinct. (And it was still towed! Where's the sense in THAT?)

I was told by one of my North Minneapolis neighbors about the time her vehicle was stolen and ended up in Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. (I don't remember which "Brooklyn" it was, and those neighboring cities are two peas in the same civic pod)

TWO OR THREE YEARS LATER she received some kind of notice from an impound lot. By then, insurance had long ago compensated her for the vehicle.

In my case, I had no comp insurance because I tend to drive piece-of-junk vehicles. If my car had ended up in "one of the Brooklyns," or in St. Paul, or if it had been taken on a joyride to some other Minnesota city, most likely it would have been lost in the system. If it had left the state, it surely would have been lost. My past research on this subject tells me jurisdictions just don't share information very well, click here for article.

Which brings me to a kind of resolution: in 2008, I think this blog did a good job raising consciousness about the phenomenon of predatory towing. In fact, use of the phrase "predatory towing" seems to be increasing in the media, especially in all-important newspaper headlines.

However, the issue of "cross-jurisdictional sharing of towing data," one of the issues which first got me excited about doing this blog, apparently isn't sexy enough to be on the media's front burner.

Yes, there are folks like Ron Smith of Compiled Logic who are plugging away, every day, on that particular issue. But the media has yet to get excited about "Dude Where's My Car Syndrome" and write compelling stories about stolen vehicles lost in the system because jurisdictions--even those RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER--don't share information.

Well, in 2009 I have to get the media excited about DWMCS. (Dude Where's My Car Syndome) I have to find ways to highlight the problem of jurisdictions not sharing information about stolen vehicles very well, leading to inefficiency and economic loss.

I'll do it. By golly.

5.) Towing victims everywhere

A trip through the automotive jailhouse is bleak and depressing. There are acres of vehicles, each of these a story of despair and fury, each an economic drain to the owners and, therefore, to our city and state economy. We, as a civilization, can't afford to be this inefficient.

I re-commit myself to this "Towing Utopia" effort because, for one thing, I see results: the media has embraced the term "predatory towing." The next logical step, once you know predatory towing exists, is to ask "how can there be reform?" So just by spreading this single term around, I'm changing the whole culture.

But with a bloggy soap box on which to stand and shout, much greater reforms are possible...and I feel like the frustrating theft of my van was not without some higher purpose.

Proof Of Reincarnation In Dallas: Lone Star Towing Tries To Come Back Under Other Names

2009-01-01T22:32:00.012-06:00

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According to an article in the Dallas Morning News, click here, officials in Dallas are trying hard to avoid another "vehicle-towing debacle" during Cotton Bowl festivities.

An entity called "Lone Star Towing" was...

...associated with a big PR black eye for the city of Dallas due to a previous incident. As discussed here on Towing Utopia, (click for blog post, and also click here) the company snatched vehicles under dubious excuses, and many locals suspect individuals who were associated with Lone Star created "towing traps" to lure the unwary.

Now the article in the Dallas Morning News discusses Lone Star using a tactic common in the predatory towing biz...though the article doesn't make mention of the bigger national pattern, or how common this tactic is. But the article does point out individuals associated with Lone Star--now apparently defunct due to its license being revoked--are trying to come back as "Champion Tows" and "Ideal Towing."

Some other information I picked up, hanging around the virtual gas stations of the internet, says both businesses are located at this address:

8035 East RL Thornton Boulevard, Dallas.

Good to know.

Meanwhile, public officials in Dallas are engaged in a classic case of locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen, closely watching to make sure predatory towing doesn't happen during the Cotton Bowl even while Lone Star reconstitutes itself under their very noses.

You can't get rid of "bad apples" in the towing business, at least not in the present historical period of poor regulation. Only systemic changes will make a difference, especially those changes which use technology to track what is happening with towing, and make the information available to all concerned in the "towing life cycle."

Click here for an article in which "towing life cycle" is used as a term. Love that term. It's so...holistic.

P.S. Am I the only one who notices that ugly Gap billboard ruining the Dallas skyline in the photo above?

No...no, it can't just be me.

Owner Of Desert Automotive Specialists Arrested For Predatory Towing. AGAIN.

2009-01-01T21:59:00.011-06:00

Flickr.com image

Only several months ago, some folks would still ask me "what is predatory towing?" Now I'm reading headlines about suspects getting ARRESTED for it...

In California, the company called "Desert Automotive Specialists" has been the source of so many darkly-comic stories, all of this stuff dutifully reported by local television station KESQ. My personal favorite episode in that part of the country was when curbs were painted red to justify illegal tows.

Now comes word from KESQ of further arrests for "predatory towing," click here for article.

The station did a fine job running all four mug shots of the suspects. Some media entities might just publish one, and give the other (alleged) criminals a break, but KESQ allowed the public see what these thugs looked like under the spotlight.

And it's not a pretty sight.

Springfield, Massachusetts Towing Scandal Threatens City Government

2008-12-27T22:51:00.013-06:00

Image Contributed By "Way Cool 311 Jim"

I wouldn't want to close the greasy books on 2008 without one more post about the Springfield Towing Alliance, the subject of so much interesting ongoing scandal in Springfield, Massachusetts. I've blogged about this messy, almost-darkly-comic situation quite a bit already, click here, and also here.

But now things in Springfield have REALLY taken a serious turn...

The municipal government's functions are imperiled by spin-off from the scandal. How this came about is complicated and a bit hard to follow, but explained pretty well by two excellent articles in The Republican. Click here for the article by Dan Ring, and then click here for a subsequent article by Jack Flynn. (A reporter's name if I ever heard one)

This much I gather from the articles: Springfield has a $52 million dollar loan from the state. They're asking for additional time to pay back the loan, described as a "bail out." According to Flynn's article, the state "imposed a five-member Finance Control Board and stripped city officials of authority over municipal finances." OUCH!!!!!

The governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, is willing to work with the city, but he's being opposed by two legislators. One of the legislators, Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, seems to be involved in legitimate political horse-trading, asking for stuff like requiring a residence requirement for new city employees. The really inexplicable opposition comes from a legislator named Benjamin Swan. He's apparently willing to let city functions come to a screeching halt because, oh gee, some report hasn't been released yet about the Towing Alliance scandal, and how well the city handled that matter.

Well, guess who owns Swan? The Springfield Towing Alliance. From the sound of things, they have clear title to Swan's soul. The president of STA, Robert L. Jones, has contributed money to Swan and Swan has rented property to Jones. And yet Swan has the nerve to say he wants the city to be "fair and objective" in the awarding of contracts.

Swan claims he is "waiting for the state Inspector General's office to complete a review" of the situation with the Towing Alliance, and their loss of the contract for, well, massive malfeasance. (Well, Swan didn't say that LAST part. He is keeping an open mind, it appears, even though the Towing Alliance lost in court, so what is there to review?)

Though you wouldn't think two legislators could impact the fate of a bill so completely, apparently that's the way the votes stack up. While Swan "couldn't be reached for comment" (Dude, check the impound lot) the situation is being described as a "perfect storm" which will cause layoffs and service cutbacks if loan relief doesn't pass.

Ah, Springfield. I'm sure when it's spring, I'll still be writing about Springfield.

Towing Tops The Gripe List At West Virginia University, Morgantown

2008-12-27T21:32:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

According to a recent article in The Charleston Gazette, click here, college students in Morgantown usually have three main areas of concern: parking, TOWING, and landlord issues.

Their student government is speaking up for them at the state legislature, trying to have influence on legislation...

These student leaders have proposed that tow truck drivers should be required to take some other form of payment besides cash and, oh gee, stop operating on "a policy of intimidation and fear."

I don't know. Sounds like asking for a lot.

The article cites the example of a female student who was (apparently) shaken down for $150 cash, and the driver wouldn't show her the towing company's rates. This sounds very similar to a story I documented in Minneapolis, click here.

Also, storage fees for the first 24 hours after an impound is "killing" students, according to Jason Parsons, student body president.

Notably, this is the first West Virginia story to hit my blog. These student leaders just put their state on the Towing Utopia map.

Signs Of The Predatory Towing Times: "Tow Jack" Included In Urban Dictionary Dot Com

2008-12-27T20:54:00.006-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

My little contribution to the culture wars: I submitted "Tow Jack" to Urban Dictionary Dot Com, and it was (be still, my foolish heart!) approved and included. Click here for a link.

That wasn't hard, actually. Unlike...

...some contributors to the site, who appear to make stuff up and hope it will be approved for inclusion, (you know who you are) I only submit phrases which I've noted in common usage. And "tow jack" is one such phrase.

Here's an example, click here, where one commenter used the phrase, as in "Sergeant's Towing TOW JACKED a woman in labor."

Towing Scandal Bubbling Beneath The Surface In Lowell, Massachusetts

2008-12-27T20:07:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

A recent story in the Lowell Sun Online starts out as a routine and dry report on the renewal of certain towing contracts. Ah, yes, a bread-and-butter city hall story. Nothing too exciting here. Many readers will never finish the story, because they will move on to something more compelling like...crotch-grabbing former state senators, cruising the park benches of Lowell.

But then, midway through, the tone abruptly changes...

Certain juicy facts start getting aired. Here are the spicy nuggets I managed to pick out from a story which was very tightly packed with facts:

* Last year, a towing company called "Gulbicki's, Inc." performed poorly, and was fired. Some of the "poor performance" included not responding to calls. What's the deal with THAT? The calls weren't LUCRATIVE enough?

* Towing companies are trying to gain political power in Lowell, Massachusetts, as evidenced by the fact Alan Kazanjian--the owner of Kazanjian's Garage, which does towing--was recently elected to the city council.

* The towing companies bid for contracts with the city based on how much they are willing to pay the city PER TOW. So, clearly, these companies have a strong incentive to tow, tow, tow. Is there any concern for the public on the Lowell City Council?

* Christopher's Towing of Chelmsford was eliminated from the bidding because the owner, Christopher Ferreira, was convicted of indecent sexual assault and battery. Ferreira blames it all on his lying ex-girlfriend. No, I'm not making that up.

* In 2005, 6 of 7 towing companies bid less than $1.50 on the tows. The Inspector General issued a report accusing the towing firms of "illegally colluding" on bids. Guess who was one of the companies? Kazanjian's Garage!

All in all, one gets the feeling there is a lot of scandal bubbling beneath the surface in Lowell, Massachusetts and I hope the reporter who wrote this article, Jennifer Myers, gets an opportunity to dig into it further. One gets the sense Lowell, Massachusetts may have the same towing scandal potential as Springfield, Massachusetts. (Click here for an example)

"Spokanistan" Continues To Pour On The Predatory Towing Oppression

2008-12-27T19:38:00.009-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

Apparently, some residents of Spokane refer to the city as "Spokanistan." And it's no wonder. In addition to the year-after-year mass towings in Browne's Addition, click here, television station KXLY has written two more stories about what appears to be rampant predatory towing in "Spokanistan."

The first...

...of the stories is about the cost of towing, which is $500, click here for link. How does Spokane allow towing companies to charge this much money? Well...they do. They just do. Because, apparently, that's "Spokanistan" for you.

The second story is truly heartrending, click here. A woman didn't want to get towed in the street during snow removal, so she parked in the alley. The police thought she was blocking garbage collection even though--oh, gee--garbage collection was delayed due to the snowstorm, so really she wasn't. But she was towed anyway. And now she has a bill for $944, more than she can afford.

The towing company--Evergreen Towing--offered to knock off half the free, but the lady says she still can't afford to get her car back.

Predatory Towing Caused Christmas Misery In Springfield, Missouri

2008-12-27T18:10:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

A twisted, wrong-headed interpretation of the words "overnight parking" caused misery for a family in Springfield, according to an article on KY3.com, click here.

It happened like this: The MacGregor family has a daughter, and the daughter's boyfriend was visiting on Christmas. So that tells you something...

It tells you some of the cost of this towing fee will be money the family won't have a chance to use for wedding expenses. Because when a boyfriend visits his girlfriend's family at Christmas, that's SERIOUS.

In any case, the boyfriend and the daughter own a car together (so are they LIVING together? OK, never mind) and he left the car at the Grayhound station after he boarded the bus.

Signs in the parking lot say "No overnight parking" but, obviously, the boyfriend didn't think the sign applied to him leaving the car for a short while and having somebody else pick it up when he boarded the bus. Overnight generally means, well, overnight.

But Greyhound seems to think the words "overnight parking" should be interpreted "unattended vehicles."

Such overzealous interpretation makes me strongly suspect (though I can't prove it, admittedly) somebody is getting a kickback from the towing companies. This type of kickback is so common, and causes so much predatory and abusive towing, that many states have outlawed the practice.

Here's another reason to, as they say, "Go Greyhound" and "Leave the driving to us." Because Greyhound tricked you with a deceptive parking lot sign, then had your car towed.

City Of Spokane Pours On The Predatory Towing Oppression In Browne's Addition

2008-12-26T22:43:00.011-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, Spokane

Apparently it happens every year. Snow falls and the City of Spokane demands "move your vehicle!" The residents of an area called Browne's Addition ask...

"Where? Where am I supposed to move it?" And the city tows, like, FIFTY VEHICLES as though the politicians, in their infinite wisdom, are being REASONABLE.

And with KXLY writing stories like this, click here, about a "necessary evil," an uprising like that seen in other states (click here) does not seem likely any time soon.

The real story is told in a single comment posted to the KXLY story:

* "I had no place to move my car, and (I) am an older single parent, with only my Down Syndrome son at home! It took me days to dig out my car and then I couldn't get out because the street had not been plowed."

I have to wonder what is up with the political situation in Spokane. Do the residents of Browne's Addition lack representation and political power to such a degree they are forced to take this, year after year?

On another note: this is my first post for the State of Washington. This tells you something about Washington State: usually, they manage to treat their citizens pretty well. But Spokane is apparently an exception.

Well, even then, not all of Spokane...just the hard-luck, downtrodden souls in Browne's Addition.

Mass Towing Added To A Miserable 2008 Holiday Season

2008-12-26T22:05:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

As if it wasn't bad enough that our nation had one of the worst Christmas retail seasons ever, the large pre-holiday winter storm which dumped snow all over the nation gave many cities an excuse to...

...add even further misery to tightly-stretched holiday budgets with predatory towing practices.

Idaho Falls was an example of this, click here, but I can't really single out this city. Abusive, mass-attack towing happened all over the country...with the notable exceptions of Albany, New York and, (I can assume this based on earlier coverage) Madison, Wisconsin.

It is frustrating for me to see the snowstorm a-coming...to watch media reports about delayed flights, cars buried in white, streets full of slush, and to know beyond a doubt people will get towed, they will be abused, they will be turned upside down and money shook out of their pockets.

And, worst of all, many will assume "that's just the way it is" or tell themselves they were "stupid" for parking where they assumed, innocently, they could indeed park.

While Albany, NY Does The Right Thing, Rochester, NY Embraces Predatory Towing

2008-12-26T21:40:00.005-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, Rochester, New York

Even while another city in the same state embraces humane, creative solutions to avoid excessive and predatory towing, the city of Rochester, New York recently went all out to add more misery to what was, already, a pretty dismal holiday season...

You can read the article by Sean Carroll of 13 WHAM right here, click here for article, including something I find to be inexplicable and just-plain-wrong editorializing: the reporter's remark that "it wasn't what the city wanted to do, but it was necessary..."

Was it? Then how does Albany manage to avoid it so effectively, click here?

Now Predatory Towing Has Brought The Wrath Of The Church

2008-12-26T21:04:00.006-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, Cathedral City, California

An interesting new pattern has emerged in Cathedral City, California, in the growing movement against predatory towing: a church has become involved on behalf of its parishioners, who have been repeatedly victimized. The church is St. Louis Catholic Church, which has many Latino members.

Previously,...

I've written about how good-old fashioned community organizing by residents of an apartment complex caused an actual uprising against predatory towing, click here. However, the recent article in MyDesert.com, click here, shows activism over this issue may take many forms, and the involvement of religious figures is one such possibility. In Cathedral City, springing a car from the impound lot can cost a whopping $1,500...traffic ticket NOT included.

Who allowed this madness? It's almost besides the point to ask my usual geeky question: do they have real time internet tracking of vehicles and charges?

I'm glad to document this involvement by a church, because if a congregation somewhere else is contemplating getting involved in the issue of predatory towing, this story shows church involvement is not without precedent. St. Louis Catholic Church in Cathedral City, California, was the first to step forward.

Well, the first I know about.

Albany, New York Tries To Do The Right Thing And Avoid Predatory Towing

2008-12-26T20:26:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com photo

First of all, kudos to Albany, New York, which is at least TRYING to avoid towing massive numbers of vehicles being towed after the recent, pre-holiday snow storm. In Albany, according to this article, (click here) police officers were...

...actually looking up plate numbers, then knocking on doors to alert residents they should "move it or lose it." I've written before about cities trying to use more humane towing tactics, notably in Montreal and Madison, Wisconsin.

However, the tactic of running plates and knocking on doors--though clever, and certainly a lifesaver to those individuals who were notified in this way--is a rather inefficient use of police resources. Imagine if police had a device which allowed them to enter the plate number of a vehicle...and, instantly, there would be a phone call and email sent to the owner of the vehicle, warning them to "move it or lose it?"

Yes, police could still knock on doors...but as a last resort, after the more efficient and high-tech tactic failed to reach the owner of the vehicle. Ultimately, no matter how you slice it, some vehicles will get towed. That's when it becomes important to track vehicle data on the internet, in real time.

But there seems to be an encouraging trend taking root, and maybe it has something to do with the tough economy, ironically enough. Public officials know citizens are hurting. And having your car towed--particularly right before Christmas--is an unkind cut, and best avoided entirely.

Ashville, North Carolina Turns The Tables On Predatory Towing

2008-12-26T19:03:00.014-06:00

Mug shots are government documents, therefore
in the public domain.

Asheville, North Carolina represents an interesting evolution in local predatory towing consciousness, which this blog has followed from its very beginning...

First, local chamber-of-commerce folks listed some areas of concern which were hurting tourism, and predatory towing was on the list, click here. (Surprisingly, tacky naked cherub statues weren't even mentioned)

Then a much longer, more in-depth article in the local paper started getting a lot more specific about the predatory towing problems, click here.

Well, now we see a "sting operation" in which towing operators made off with a police decoy vehicle in a blatantly illegal act of automotive theft, of the kind which was happening constantly and they were GETTING AWAY WITH IT.

Local media had a field day with this. Here's a great opinion piece about the sting operation,
click here. It's mostly a triumphant "I told you so" by the author, who has been blowing the whistle on predatory towing in Asheville for years.

Unfortunately, there is a tendency for cities to just rest on their laurels after pulling off such a spectacular turning of the tables on a predatory towing operation. However, this rather symbolic and feel-good sting doesn't solve the "dude, where's my car?" systemic issues, which are best solved by technology, including an ability to track vehicles in real time on the internet. The problem is not just bad people (though that's part of the problem) but archaic "metal hook and carbon paper" towing systems.

My Little Letter Writing Campaigns About Predatory Towing

2008-12-26T18:07:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com Photo by Russell, A Victim Of
Predatory Towing In Hawaii

Hawaii's newspaper published my letter to the editor! (click here) SO COOL! Sometimes, truthfully, I don't even go back to check and find out if all the letters I'm firing off are getting published.

In regard to Hawaii: my father was at the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the "island paradise" is a place I've always wanted to visit. I would like to sit under a palm tree and read "From Here To Eternity."

But, hey, I wouldn't want to get my rental car towed, and have somebody at the impound lot turn me upside down and shake the coinage out of my pockets. I wouldn't want to take that long, dreary walk out to "Sand Island" where Edge Towing has set up shop, apparently to maximize its allowable mileage revenue, according to more than one witness.

I'm convinced predatory towing has taken root in Hawaii, based on things I'm turning up in my blog research. BEWARE if you plan to vacation in Hawaii.

(Do not click "Read More")

Predatory Towing And Non-Consensual Tire Baldness On The Island Paradise Of Hawaii

2008-12-26T17:52:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com photo, above, and another one below

Here's yet another example of a predatory towing horror story to hit the Flickr.com website, where participants post their personal photos...

A guy named Russell not only got taken to the cleaners by Edge Towing in the same manner as another poster on this blog, click here, but Russell says the "shmoe" towing the vehicle dragged it in such a way to damage the tire, seen above.

Hawaii depends heavily on tourism revenue for its economy, and people who have predatory towing experiences frequently vow to NEVER COME BACK to tourist spots where they endured such victimization. How has Hawaii allowed Edge Towing to begin damaging the reputation of the state as a fun tourist spot?

Madison, Wisconsin Tries To Minimize Towing Abuse

2008-12-14T17:28:00.012-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

Madison, Wisc. is using a tactic I have suggested other northern U.S. cities should adopt: they tow vehicles to legal parking instead of impound lots, charging fines which sting, but are NOT outrageous.

According to...

...NBC 26, click here, recently 182 cars were cleared from a vital snow emergency route in Madison. The vehicles were taken to a nearby street where parking was legal, and tickets were slipped under the windshield: $50 for the ticket, $60 for the tow, a total of MERELY $110.

Montreal uses a similar tactic, and I've gone out of my way to publicize it, click here.

However, superior even to the "Montreal Model" (which is now the "Montreal/Madison Model") would be electronic notification by email and cell phone, what I call the "move it or lose it" model. Why move cars to the next street? Notify the drivers and watch them come rushing out of their houses, cell phones and Blackberries in hand.

The personal and economic disruption of towing must be minimized. Madison is doing the right thing. There's room for a lot of improvement, but Madison is heading in the right direction.

Real Time Internet Towing Data Needed, Too

However, what happens when approximately 182 people wake up in the morning and wonder where to find their cars? They're going to be calling on the phones, jamming up the system, getting themselves late for work, slowing down the economy.

That's why towing data should be online. People would come to learn they can go to a website and find their car, rather than spending time on hold, cussing.

An Amusing Side Note

One local blog referred to Madison's scheme of alternate side street parking as a "memory tax," click here. Funny.

Madison is doing better than most northern U.S. cities. Hats off to Madison. And, oh gee, this is the first Wisconsin entry on the "Towing Utopia National Map." Madison, you're the star pupil today.

Sex Offender Tow Truck Driver Made Off With 2-Year-Old Girl

2008-12-13T23:48:00.008-06:00

Mug Shot, Therefore In The Public Domain

It's not as bad as my headline would indicate. The child was apparently not harmed. It happened in Stafford, Virginia...

...according to this article, click here, when the mother of a 2-year-old girl left her child sitting in a double-parked car on the 1200 block of Thomas Jefferson Place.

The tow truck driver, Jason Michael Bryant, 25, towed the car away with the child inside. And, oh gee, he just HAPPENED to be a sex offender, whose past offense included sexual contact with a child. However, the employees at the towing yard found the child and called the sheriff's department, according to the article, "about four minutes after the mother did."

So Mr. sex-offender-tow-truck-driver didn't have a very wide window of opportunity to harm the child, one would hope.

Here is an example of somebody who brings the "predator" to "predatory towing." People like this are why I work late on a Saturday night, blogging.

Citizens Use Internet To Get Even With Retriever Towing, Portland, Oregon

2008-12-13T22:16:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, Portland, OR

I've mentioned the tactic before in previous blog posts, including this one about the situation with Lone Star Towing in Texas, click here. When a company is engaged in predatory towing, upset citizens can just go to sites like "Merchant Circle" and pour in negative reviews, plus...

...they can publish useful information about whatever controversy is causing citizens to become so upset in the first place. This kind of information enlightens others, instead of just being a worthless spleen venting and outpouring of expletives, without explanation about WHY people are so mad at the company in question.

Right now, Retriever Towing of Portland, Oregon is on the receiving end of such an outpouring of enlightened consumer fury. Check out the reviews posted at City Search, click here.

One poster is actually suggesting boycotting businesses who use Retriever Towing. As of today only one person had posted a review to "Merchant Circle," but now the total is, shall we say, up to two, click here.

Also, there are seven reports about Retriever Towing at Rip Off Report Dot Com, but I'm hoping the total will soon be eight; since I submitted one.

A Summary Of Anti-Predatory Towing Law In California

2008-12-13T21:14:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

This is certainly not legal advice, but I recently turned up a thumbnail summary of the law in California, and so--as part of my effort to be a one-stop-shop in regard to predatory and abusive towing issues, including laws to protect against that sort of thing, I'm going to reproduce the "thumbnail summary" of the law for those who may be searching for a clewwwwwwwwww in California....

This summary comes from Consumer Connection, a publication of the California Department of Consumer Affairs. It is, therefore, public and government information which can be promulgated verbatim.

This is apparently the law which banned "patrol towing" in California, something activist Sean Cruz is always urging for the State of Oregon, click here.

The Law's Preamble. Or Not.

"Tow truck drivers risk their lives every day to..."

OK, forget that part. If you want to read pro-tow propaganda, you can check out this blog, click here. I'll skip to the good part:

Patrol Towing Is The Devil

The worst cases of predatory towing involve "patrol" or "satellite" towing. That's when a tow truck driver, on a tip from a spotter, tows away a car illegally parked on private property, such as a no-parking area of a shopping mall or apartment complex. If that happens, the car owner has to pay the cost of towing, storage, and other fees to get the car back.

A new law, Assembly Bill 2210 (Goldberg, Chapter 609, Statutes of 2006) protects consumers against the worst of illegal towing. Under AB 2210, if you spot a tow truck driver taking your car, and the tow truck is still on private property, the driver must release your car to you unconditionally.

Fines For Tow Truck Drivers

A tow truck operator who violates this law is subject to a civil misdemeanor, a fine of $2,500, and/or three months in jail. Also, consumers who can prove they have been charged illegal or excessive towing or storage fees are entitled to recover four times the amount of those fees in small claims court.

Below is a summary of the changes in the law under AB 2210. Remember these guidelines apply only to tows from private property.

One-Hour Rule

A vehicle must be parked for one full hour before being towed unless it is parked in a manner that interferes with an entrance or exit, is within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or in a fire lane. The curb of a fire line must be painted red and be clearly labeled "NO PARKING FIRE LANE."

Unconditional Release

If a vehicle owner encounters a tower removing his or her vehicle but the truck is not yet on a public road, the owner may demand the immediate and unconditional release of the vehicle. The law does not require the owner to provide a driver's license.

Reasonable Release Fee (Or, So Much For "Unconditional Release")

If the tower releases a vehicle that has been illegally parked, the tower is entitled to no more than one-half of his normal towing fee. Local law enforcement can tell you what the normal towing fee is in your area.

Ten-Mile Limit

A tower cannot take your vehicle to a storage lot that is more than ten miles from where it was parked.

Clearly-Posted Warning

A tower must have written consent from the property owner or his agent, who must have waited one hour before calling for the tow. Also, a sign not less than 17 inches by 22 inches in size should be displayed in plain view at all entrances to the property.

Valid Towing Permit (Photos, Records, No Kick-Backs)

The tower must have a valid motor carrier permit, shall make records and photographs of each tow available for law enforcement, and shall not share profits from towing with property owners who call for a vehicle removal.

Credit Cards OK

The tower must accept credit cards in payment for towing and storage fees, which must be reasonable.

Compliance Within 24 Hours Equals One Day Maximum Storage Charge

If the appropriate fees are paid within the initial 24 hours of storage and the storage facility fails to comply or is not open during normal business hours, then only one day's storage fee may be charged.

Reasonable Gate Fee

The gate fee, or maximum hourly charge for releasing a vehicle after normal business hours, shall be one half the hourly tow rate charged for initially towing the vehicle, or less.

Penalty For Excessive Charges

A person who charges a vehicle owner a towing service or storage charge at an excessive rate is liable to the vehicle owner for four times the amount charged.

If You Have A Complaint

You should contact your local law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau--

(OK, let me break in right now and say that's just LAME)

You may also check the driver's reposessor's license on DCA's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services or by calling 800-952-5210. Civil claims against a tower should be filed in the Small Claims Court. The Department of Consumer Affairs also publishes a Guide to Using the Small Claims Court.

Weaknesses In The Law

The biggest weakness is there is no oversight arm apparent. The advice to "contact local law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau" is worthless. Honestly, I've never had any luck with the Better Business Bureau. There needs to be a bureau to complain about the ineffectiveness of the Better Business Bureau.

In regard to the "one hour rule," how will this stuff be PROVEN? This rule presents an opportunity for somebody to try to catch predatory towing companies in the act, but little more. Proving the vehicle sat somewhere for less than an hour is going to be quite difficult.

The law also says the towing companies must accept credit cards. It doesn't say "all major credit cards." An obvious loophole.

The law doesn't require towing companies to be open 24 hours. Other jurisdictions require this. California needs to catch up.

However, all in all, you're a lot better being in California than in the abusive predatory towing playground of Oregon, for example.

Predatory Towing Is Ruining Tourism In Asheville, North Carolina

2008-12-13T20:44:00.005-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

Asheville, North Carolina depends heavily on tourism, but a few predatory towing companies are ruining life for everybody. So Asheville is considering new ordinances, probably modeled on those of Raleigh, North Carolina.

I previously reported about how predatory towing was merely on the table for discussion in Asheville, click here, but an excellent and detailed article by Jason Sandford, click here, fleshes out how...

...a tourist-oriented town like Asheville can be harmed by predatory towing. The article is not merely a window into Asheville, but something of a case study in predatory-towing-meets-tourism industry.

Here are some highlights of the article.

Way To Spoil Asheville For Us

A husband and wife were downtown at a restaurant and--wouldn't you know it--thought a parking lot next to the restaurant was a good place to, well, park. Ha ha. Tourists.

They were having drinks across the street when WHAT did they see? A pink elephant? No, it was their car being dragged away by a tow truck.

What started as a fun night out turned into a tale of misery. After that, the couple stayed in the hotel at the outskirts of town, ate at the Outback steak chain, and refused to dump money in the downtown art shops and eateries.

Big Whopping Lies?

Faced with a proposal to tweak Asheville's laws to look more like the laws of Raleigh, NC, the owner of a local towing company complained about the possibility of being required to accept credit cards and not just cash. He claims--and I find this claim truly incredible, PROVE IT, I say--that "over half of customers reversed charges" back when he allowed credit cards.

Prove it, I say. I find it incredible that 50 percent of the public would be that bold, that innovative, that rebellious, even in the heart of Dixieland where common sense is king and folks know a lot of smart tricks. I'd believe ten percent, even twenty, but FIFTY? Sounds like a big whopper to me. But I'm open to hearing the evidence.

The Ultimate "Tourist Friendly" Solution

So how about using high tech to notify individuals of an impending tow so they can "move it or lose it?" Wouldn't that be the ultimate "tourist friendly solution" to fight predatory towing?

A small town like Asheville couldn't pull something like this off, all by itself. Indeed, even when I propose the "high tech move it or lose it notification" in cities like Minneapolis, where there are a lot of snow emergencies, I usually propose having individuals buy some sort of sticker to place on their vehicle. Such a solution wouldn't be practical for tourists.

But consider this: a whole bunch of tourist towns all getting together, coordinating with entities like "Triple A," to compile a massive list of auto information...enough to notify a lot of tourists (certainly not all, but a lot) of an impending tow if their particular car should be sitting where it's not supposed to sit.

Ultimately, the whole nation should adopt high tech solutions, not only "move it or lose it notification" but also systems to let towed drivers find their car in the system quickly, easily...all over the nation, in a seamless web of information between various jurisdictions.

Ah, yes, that's quite a vision. But in the meantime, maybe there's a way to get Danny Jones of All-Safe Towing to quit preying on tourists cars in Asheville, before he manages to kill what sounds like a really fun and funky downtown.

The Value of Upset Letters To Local Chambers Of Commerce

Oh, by the way...here is yet another instance of a local chamber of commerce reacting to upset letters from the victims of predatory towing. If you are towed in a small town...be sure to vent your spleen on the local Chamber of Commerce, and let them know you're NEVER COMING BACK TO THEIR CRUMMY TOWN AGAIN because of what happened.

Some places might even give you gift certificates and a free hotel stay. And if not, what have you lost? A stamp. What have you gained? An opportunity to make sure your suffering is not borne by you alone, but somehow contributes to the greater good.

Chambers Of Commerce Getting Involved

This article also shows Chambers of Commerce can approach their local government and ask for reforms to prevent predatory towing, and they can get somewhere like that. I hope more Chambers of Commerce will follow Asheville's example.

A Victim's Eye View Of The Scary Impound Lot In Kansas City, Kansas

2008-12-13T19:47:00.009-06:00

Flickr.com Photos

While searching for an image to illustrate the previous blog post, click here, I stumbled upon some images of the impound lot in Kansas City, KANSAS which some unfortunate citizen snapped while retrieving a car towed for expired plates. (Which were only expired because of a "paperwork mix-up")

As is so often the case...

...a trip to the impound lot is a bleak, scary journey into automotive Purgatory. You really have to wonder if there are laws requiring impound lots to be located in vast fields of mud, or to have dirty, neglected piles of automotive debris, or to bear a scary resemblance to a political "re-education camp."

Thanks to this Flickr.com photo contributor for helping me add the State of Kansas to the Towing Utopia Dot Com national map.

Dark and Dingy Garages, Warning Signs On Wheels, And No You DO NOT Get A Receipt, Lady...All In Kansas City, Mo.

2008-12-13T19:24:00.011-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, Kansas City, Mo.

As I reported a couple weeks ago, click here, Kansas City, Mo. is in the process of revising its ordinances, trying to eliminate some of the rampant abuses by towing companies.

Like water long under pressure erupting in a geyser, (or maybe a broken radiator hose would be a better example) citizens vented tales of victimization by towing companies on the prowl...

According to this article in the Kansas City Star, click here, many of the complaints center on inadequate signs in parking lots which were "broken, hung upside down, hidden in dark corners or non existent." One woman was denied a receipt after retrieving her car from a "dark and dingy" garage.

A man named Jonathan De Haven lost his job after losing his car, and noted the warning sign mysteriously appeared after he parked....no doubt aided by the fact it was on wheels.

Readers should take note of the statement in the "manifest" of this blog, about the intimate connection between one's car and one's life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

I'm glad to say I contacted the office of Kansas City Councilperson Circo to make sure she knew about this blog, where many examples have been gathered of cities trying to reform their ordinances. The article in the Kansas City Star lists the reforms Circo has proposed, and these are all good reforms, but individuals who posted in the comments section of the article (part of the "sub-blogosphere") are emphatic that Kansas City doesn't actually ENFORCE its laws about towing.

For example, "chasing tows" is illegal, and yet (according to some posters) there is ample evidence tow trucks are running to accident scenes by monitoring police radio channels, often arriving even before squad cars.

Notably, the Kansas City Star has reportedly been swamped with calls complaining about predatory towing, as one of its higher-ups mentioned in passing. (Click here)

Once this ordinances is passed (and I think it will be) a good story for the Kansas City Star might be trying to see if the rules are actually being enforced.

From Spontaneous Uprising To Planned Protest (America Wakes Up To Predatory Towing)

2008-12-13T18:31:00.009-06:00

Photo By John Hoff, "Poor People's March"

Perhaps there have been other planned, coordinated protests against predatory towing incidents prior to one recently announced in Oregon...by somebody posting under the label "napd" on the blog of Sean Cruz, click here.

Yes, possibly. I haven't heard of any sign-waving, slogan-chanting examples, but I admit it's possible there have been a few, most likely on some campus.

But as an activist and a relentless life-long do-gooder, I'm pretty familiar with various social movements and how they evolve. What I'm observing now is an interesting, predictable development in social consciousness and activism around the issue of predatory and abusive towing, as some of the more informed people in the country...

...make the transition from merely waking up to predatory towing to actually doing something about it. Therefore, I see it as the duty of this blog to repeat and amplify the "call to protest" announced on the blog of Sean Cruz.

Here is the call to protest, such as it is, pretty much verbatim...though I eliminated the "all caps" in the body of the original posting:

TO ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO MAY WANT TO HELP/GET INVOLVED,

I'm working on a formal letter to the governor, with cc to the mayor, attorney general, city and state police department regarding Retriever Towing and I need as many signatures as possible.

I'm also in the process of organizing a peaceful march early in January. The plan is to start from their site under I-405 and march to City Hall. (By "their site," the poster apparently means Retriever Towing)

I will provide more info by end of next week with additional info as soon as the letter is ready and plans are better defined.

We need to create awareness not only about the obvious public health and safety issue that this represents but also the economic impact on unaware businesses under contract with them (Retriever Towing, I assume) and how this scares customers away from their premises.

Does anyone know about other property managers canceling their contracts with them, or business owners with similar concerns or dissatisfied with their service? It is clear now how unregulated industries and special interests can drive an entire economy down. We need to take action.

The Spark That Ignited Involvement

Our family car was towed with our nephew's asthma medication and car seats in it. Our family was stranded in the rainy weather for an hour and Mr. Coe (of Retriever Towing) himself denied access to the car before payment was made which I understand is required by law.

(A side note, here. Check out Minnesota's proposal for a "let people get their stuff" law, click here. I'm still trying to find out if it became law or not)

They put us in their known"time out" and made us wait even longer (they used to charge customers for this) The police were called and upon arrival they acknowledged knowing about Retriever Towing having out-of-control predatory towing practices, but said they couldn't do much about it. We still had to pay first despite our plea regarding the urgency of the medication and car seats.

If Retriever Towing can tow a police car in Gresham responding to a 911 call, ignore a request from a police officer in Wilsonville responding to a call by a domestic violence victim, disregard common sense, public safety and many more instances that can be found with a simple Google search (even in the national news) and are frequently in the local news, (then) it is time to do something more than just posting outrage on a website or waiting for the government to get involved.

Citizens In Open Insurrection
A few weeks ago, the Oregonian reported on a woman and an angry mob who set a Retriever truck on fire and who was arrested on a 220k bond. That's just another example that public outrage with this confrontational tow company is leading to more and more violence. Hoepfully, the government will get involved soon.

I'll provide more information later.

What Will Happen In Oregon?

It will be interesting to see whether there really will be a protest march, and what will come of that. I'll certainly try to report on it, and I've forwarded a request for pictures, information if and when it happens.

However, even the mere CALL for a protest march represents a kind of evolutionary development with the social issue of predatory towing.

Oregon Continues To Be A "Predatory Towing Theme Park" Filled With Abused Citizens

2008-12-13T17:13:00.016-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

There is no end to the predatory towing abuses in Oregon, which recently included a domestic violence victim "re-victimized" by the infamous "Retriever Towing" outfit. Fortunately...

...Oregon has Sean Cruz, who stays on top of these issues and constantly brings up the need to ban "patrol towing" in Oregon, like California and Washington State have already banned the practice. Sean's recent blog post, click here, included a bunch of URLs with information about the ongoing saga with Retriever Towing.

(I've encouraged Sean to use "live links" with his blog, a practice which requires only a slight bit of technical know-how)

Here are some highlights from Sean's material which I'd like to highlight:

* According to an article in the Oregonian, click here, there was a "predatory towing uprising" incident, which included an angry crowd and an attempt to set fire to the tow truck, with the vehicle owner under arrest. My blog has been attempting to document these uprisings, like the one in at Abbey Court in Carrboro, North Carolina, which seems to have been the Lexington and Concord of this widening rebellion.

This type of citizen-led "direct action" seems to be picking up steam at the same time the public becomes more enlightened about the concept of "predatory and abusive towing" through efforts like those of Sean Cruz and Towing Utopia.

I do not advocate violence. I certainly do advocate protest.

* Sean Cruz wrote about another incident, reported by KATU, in which a driver for Sergeant's "tow jacked" the car of a woman in labor, click here for article.

The comments section of this article is quite notable, with some individuals actually emailing the company in question and then posting the response on the comments thread. This is a great example of the sub-blogosphere in action, and actually adding useful information to public discourse...for a change.

* Sean Cruz points out "the 2007 Oregon Legislature, under the leadership of Senator Avel Gordly, imposed regulations on patrol towing that have yet to be fully implemented, particularly by local governments."

Towing Utopia says: WAKE UP, LOCAL OREGON GOVERNMENTS! REGULATE PATROL TOWING!!!!

* Cruz points out two truck drivers must provide "their prospective victims" with a printed rate sheet so there is "no confusion about the amount of ransom demanded." If this isn't happening, folks in Oregon need to notify the Oregon Attorney General's Office.

* In wording very similar to the "manifest" of this very blog, Sean points out "the towers demands are often confiscatory in effect. Loss of vehicle is a penalty far beyond what is just for the 'offense' that may or may not have been committed by the vehicle owner."

Indeed. That is why citizens should be going into court and suing to have whole bodies of state towing laws overturned on constitutional grounds, whether state or local. YES, there is a time and a place for non-consent towing. But it must be regulated and transparent, with emerging technology used across the spectrum of the "towing life cycle" to make sure nobody needs to say "Dude, where's my car?" and not have an answer for days.

Note: the photo above is of a tow truck driver in Oregon, but is for illustration purposes only. No implication is intended that the driver was engaged in abusive towing practices.

No More "Tricked And Trapped" On Washington Avenue SE (Thank You, Councilman Cam Gordon!)

2008-12-13T13:57:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

I've written a couple of times about the "tricked and trapped" towing situation in the Stadium Village neighborhood of Minneapolis, click here, and also click here.

Could it just be some kind of weird blogosphere coincidence that the City of Minneapolis has fixed the problem along that small stretch of street, plus installed innovative new meters which take credit cards? Somehow, I don't think so! But I'm going to give credit to...

...city Councilman Cam Gordon, who told me during his election four years ago (I can hardly believe it was that long) he would indeed look into the issue of more advanced parking meters which might take plastic, like the ones in San Francisco. The meter discussion came up in a series of opinion columns I wrote about the Ward 2 election in Minneapolis, highlighting the two candidates for the Ward 2 council seat but strategically mentioning--OVER AND OVER--there was A GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE IN THE RACE.

(Alleged "improvements" to the Minnesota Daily website makes it difficult to find those old columns in question and create some links)

A recent article in the Minnesota Daily discusses the installation of the new meters, click here, but when I rushed over to see the new meters, my heart filled with joy, pitter pat, it was even better than I could have imagined:

The tricky signage also got changed. You see, the credit card meters aren't at every space, but provide coverage of a number of spaces kind of like a pay lot. So when new signage was erected to direct motorists to the new meters, the towing situation along the street became much more apparent due to the changes in the signage. Now, you can't really put money in the meter without seeing the sign about how YOU WILL BE TOWED if you stay on the street when you're not supposed to.

I almost wish I was in Ward 2 so I could vote for Cam Gordon, but I have my own mission in North Minneapolis.

Cam Gordon really is making life better for U of M students, even though bureaucracy is a big machine to push against, and progress comes in increments. But a long time ago Cam said he was taking an interest in the new meters, and the new meters finally arrived. So I give credit to Cam.

Yeah, I'll probably ask Cam about how it happened, there, but I still give credit to Cam Gordon, here and now.

I hope the new meters work as good as the manufacturer (I am sure) has promised, and eventually replace all the clunky, mean, obsolete, quarters-only meters.

But we still have a long way to go in Minneapolis to eliminate predatory towing. The new meters tend to show what I've been trumpeting for months: communicative technology is the key to eliminating predatory towing.

Towing Laws In The State Of Hawaii

2008-11-29T14:57:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

With a little more digging, I was able to turn up the particular non-consent towing law in Hawaii, which is HRS 290-11, click here for a link.

The law has some major strengths and some fatal weaknesses...

...and, in my opinion, here they are:

STRENGTH: Caps charges at $65 for a tow, $75 with a dolly, plus caps mileage and storage fees.

WEAKNESS: The law doesn't account for a situation where a towing company sets up shop on distant "Sand Island," possibly for the purpose of maximizing mileage fees. There needs to be a "mileage cap."

STRENGTH: Mandatory free drop after hooking if vehicle owner arrives on the scene. No doubt the law's biggest strength, and a model for other states, cities and counties to follow. (It does have an exception for hookups in an above or below ground, multilevel facility, which is still only a $30 drop fee)

WEAKNESS: No penalty outlined for violating this section of the law.

STRENGTH: Fifteen days after being towed, the legal owner and registered owner shall be notified in writing by registered or certified mail. Hey, at least some kind of written notification is required.

WEAKNESS: Fifteen days? Are you KIDDING me? If people don't come and fetch their car after 3 days, there is clearly a problem. Furthermore, this law is more archaic every day. Notification by phone and email should be required, too.

STRENGTH: Judgment and lawyer fees for excess charges. Not bad.

WEAKNESS: Who is going to hire a lawyer over a few hundred bucks in towing overcharges? The law should mandate much more severe fines and penalties.

STRENGTH: Before disposing of a vehicle after 30 days, notice is required in a newspaper of general circulation in the state. You can call this a strength because SOMETHING is required, but, come on!

WEAKNESS: Legal notice in a NEWSPAPER? Increasingly, this is an utterly archaic form of communication. All legal notices should be published on the internet.

STRENGTH: Towing companies must "accommodate payment" by cash, credit card OR (note the word "or") automated teller machine located on the premises.

WEAKNESS: Yeah, I'm sure they'll be raking in some major fees off that automated teller machine. This is a huge loophole for abuse.

STRENGTH: There is an opportunity for counties to adopt their own ordinances regulating towing operations.

WEAKNESS: What is going to make the counties do THAT except numerous abuses by towing companies?

WEAKNESS, WEAKNESS, WEAKNESS: The law does not require towing data to be electronically accessible to owners, police, towing companies, insurance companies, and all others with a stake in the fate of the vehicle. Instead, it relies on archaic notification mechanisms like CERTIFIED LETTERS and notification in (how quaint!) the legal notices of a newspaper. This law needs to be reformed before predatory towing cuts deeply into Hawaii's all-important tourism industry.

Predatory Towing Victims Sue City Of Chicago...

2008-11-28T23:18:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

And it's about time, I say.

Reporter Pam Zekman of CBS appears to have a strong interest in predatory towing issues, and she has spurred reform of Chicago's filth-filled sewer of corrupt towing practices. She's been mentioned on this blog before, click here. Now Zekman's most recent article continues to dish up the dirt, click here.

It turns out corrupt Chicago cops were on the take for years...

...allegedly, and took bribes in return for "vouching" for towing companies. This practice is against police department policy, even if the towing companies are GOOD, but in this case the companies shook people down for outrageous amounts of inflated fees. According to Zekman's article, police internal affairs and FBI knew about what was happening for YEARS.

So why did the police allow citizens to keep getting taken to the cleaners, just to catch a few crooked cops?

I might point out very similar questions were asked in the Boyton Beach, California matter, click here, where investigators kept racking up felony charges...but, in the meantime, citizens were being illegally towed. Why was that allowed to continue? And do the folks in Boynton Beach have a lawsuit similar to these citizens of Chicago?

In any case, Pam Zekman is my hero. Well, my heroine.

Keep up the great work, Ms. Zekman.

Predatory Towing On The Island Paradise Of Hawaii

2008-11-28T22:31:00.006-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

In Hawaii, according to state law as related in this recent "legal advice" article, click here, towing companies can only charge $65 for a tow, or $75 for a tow involving a dolly. They are allowed to charge $7.50 per mile. So you have to wonder how, exactly, a guy who got towed "just around the corner" on Cooke Street paid $145 cash!

I'll bet that...

...he's wondering the same thing.

Here are some other aspects of the law I want to highlight, with credit to the article:

* Storage rates are capped at $25 per day, or a fraction thereof, for the first 7 days, and $20 per day after that.

* Mandatory free drop! If you reach your car while the tower is hooking up the vehicle, he must unhook it, without charge. This is something ALL STATES AND CITIES SHOULD ADOPT and I'm sure glad I've found Hawaii as an example that can be cited.

Why is Hawaii like this? I'm guessing Hawaii is very conscious of its tourist industry, and knows a bad experience means somebody won't be coming back to spend their money. If only other cities and states could be this bright.

* The towing companies must provide a receive stating the maximum towing charges allowed by law, and the telephone number of a consumer information service. All I can say is...wow!

* Towing companies must make payment convenient by cash, credit card or automated teller machine located on the premises. Requiring only cash payments is against the law.

Online Comments Provide Substantive Info

It's hard work mining streams of online comments for any kind of worthwhile info; so often online comments degenerate into stupid and pointless discussions about race, religion, and the superiority of red versus blue. But, in this case, some good information actually turned up, pretty and gleaming, in the bottom of my gold-mining pan.

It seems there is a company called ACE Towing on Makepono Drive. They are out on a place called "Sand Island," so the only way to get there is a $40 taxi ride from downtown or the bus. The bus only goes as far as "OCCC," whatever that is, so after that you have to walk 4 miles.

Then ACE Towing says "only cash." This according to an online commenter called "Dude Aloha Joe," and it is unconfirmed.

Filling In The Towing Utopia National Map

I was worried I'd never see a towing story from Hawaii, and this state would remain terra incognito on my national map. But, it appears, predatory towing is even present in what is supposedly an "island paradise." And this during the very week when I saw my first Hawaii State Quarter.

Trailer Court Violence Over Predatory Towing In Bluffton, South Carolina

2008-11-28T22:00:00.013-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

Bluffton, South Carolina isn't a very big place, but it sure seems to be making a name for itself in the media when it comes to predatory towing. I'd just recently blogged about a guy who wrote to the local paper, complaining about what he'd endured in Bluffton, click here.

Now, according to a recent article, click here, a tow truck driver/company owner took 10 inches of knife blade into his body at an...

...apartment complex called "Shady Glen Mobile Home Park," where "residents and property management have an ugly, ongoing dispute about parking enforcement." Preston Oates, the owner of "Pro Tow," was confronted by more than one tenant of "the home on Shady Glen Circle."

No charges have yet been filed.

This situation sounds a bit like the "Abbey Court Uprising" in North Carolina, where the mayor of the town was forced to dramatically intervene...on the side of the tenants.

Violence is wrong...but hardly unpredictable when people feel oppressed and trampled upon.

Calling Out Predatory Towing In Ridgewood, New Jersey

2008-11-28T21:34:00.006-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

A blogger who concentrates on issues in and around Ridgewood, New Jersey, recently produced what I consider a "classic post" on predatory towing, click here...

First of all, he provided the specifics of the incident from his source, and included photos.

Secondly, he provided information about New Jersey's recent law, a matter I've blogged about before, click here, and allowed the incident to be contrasted with the specifics of the law.

Third, his blog post had a comments function enabled, which allowed individuals to come forward with all kinds of nitty-gritty information, right down to whether a local church-goers had been getting a break in that particular parking lot for a long time.

If all local bloggers were doing posts like this, it would save me a lot of work! Of particular interest is prominent use of the phrase "predatory towing." This phrase, when Googled, is like a key that unlocks treasure-troves of information about this issue, info which inevitably raises the consciousness of the reader and leaves them to wonder: why isn't our nation doing more to put a stop to predatory towing?

Student Newspaper Exposes Predatory Towing Problems In Maryland

2008-11-28T20:46:00.004-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

"The Diamondback" is a student newspaper, but still provided a high-quality article on predatory towing last month, click here, which revealed up to 60 percent of Maryland's towing companies might be considered "rogue towers."

In Maryland, most laws about towing are...

...left up to county governments, according to reporter Brady Holt, and this appears to be creating a regulatory hole which allows aggressive "snatch-and-grabbers" who "call themselves towing companies simply because they own a tow truck." Even the president of "Towing and Recovery Professionals of Maryland" sees a problem.

Kansas City, Missouri Wakes Up To Predatory Towing

2008-11-28T19:38:00.010-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, City Hall, Kansas City, Mo.

When I see the phrase "predatory towing" actually used in a headline, I know America's consciousness about this issue is starting to increase, as was the case in a recent article from Kansas City, Missouri, click here.

Notably, not everybody in...

...Kansas City thinks there is a problem with predatory towing. A blog devoted to issues in Kansas City suggested naive, rube-like citizens need some kind of primer in "Big City Parking 101," click here.

Well, I think that particular blog post is just wrong-headed and, further, the blogger projects a little too much of a sense of jaded, cosmopolitan superiority. Where is that blogger from, and what big city tales does "William Rockhill Nelson" have to tell to convince me of his savvy about "big city parking?" I say "predatory towing" is a big city issue, but I don't see any evidence Mr. Nelson has even HEARD of it.

It's pretty clear from recent articles in the Kansas City Star that predatory towing practices have indeed become a problem, and it unfortunately coincides with a "revival" of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, at outlined in this article, click here.

You really have to wonder how long any city's "downtown revival" can last if word gets out about sneaky, predatory towing. Some complaints concern warning signs not properly displayed and tow truck drivers lying in wait to snatch cars.

Some proposals for the a new anti-predatory towing ordinance include requiring towing companies to accept credit cards, and capping fees. I hope before the ordinance gets passed, Kansas City might look to some other cities for ideas, like ideas about required signage. Many of those ideas are documented on this blog.

The Kansas City Star is supportive of reform, warning public officials in an editorial that if visitors have negative experiences downtown, they might not come back, click here.

Predatory Towing Experience Becomes A Work Of Art

2008-11-28T19:18:00.007-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

I've seen citizens turn their towing horror stories into an expressive, interesting series of photos on Flickr.com before, click here for an example. Oh, and here, too.

But this is the first time I've seen...

...anybody create an actual work of art with a theme of suffering centered on a predatory towing experience.

It's too bad I don't have the resources to sponsor a contest and award prizes!

Welcome To Chicago, Please Proceed Directly To The Impound Lot To Retrieve Your Vehicle

2008-11-28T18:34:00.004-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

As I illustrate my blog posts with linked images to Flickr.com, I find myself searching with terms like "Chicago" and "impound lot." Constantly, I seem to turn up little photos stories of misery, and here is yet another one...

The image above is from an album of photos showing a family's visit to Chicago. Their very first day was spent at the impound lot.

I assume they'll think twice about returning to Chicago.

Details On The Illinois "Truth In Towing" Law

2008-11-28T18:21:00.003-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

The Illinois "Truth In Towing" law has been a reality for a few months, and seems to be working with only a few minor snags. The intention of the law was to stop corruption, including police taking bribes and tow truck operators shaking down drivers for huge fees after towing away wrecks at accident scenes...

I do try to make my blog as much of a "one stop shop" for predatory towing issues as possible, and that's one reason I want to link to this article, click here. It contains a PDF file of the entire law, which "policy wonks" might find useful as they scrutinize their own towing laws with the intention of reform.

The Opposite Of Predatory Towing: Humanitarian And Merciful Towing

2008-11-28T17:23:00.007-06:00

Photo By John Hoff

It has never been my intention to rip on tow truck operators constantly, or to only emphasize the bad while ignoring the good. So I want to go out of my way to publicize something really good happening in Kerrville, Texas...

Midway Wrecker is once again offering free tows during the holiday season for people who've had too much to drink, according to this article in DailyTimes.com, which has been "serving the Texas Hill Country since 1910."

And speaking of serving for a long time...Midway Wrecker has been doing this public service FOR THE LAST 17 YEARS! Every holiday season, according to reporter Rayanne Schmid, the company helps 25 to 30 people.

Matthew Morris, a supervisor with the company, says the effort is worthwhile if it keeps just one person out of the hospital, or out of a coffin.

Though this blog is dedicated to raising consciousness about predatory and abusive towing, I am very glad to see the exact opposite phenomenon, which I hereby dub HUMANITARIAN AND MERCIFUL TOWING.

Bribery Allegation In The "Springfield Towing Alliance" Scandal

2008-11-28T16:51:00.004-06:00

Flickr.com Photo, Springfield City Hall

The fun never ends in Springfield, Massachusetts, where allegations recently surfaced of an attempted bribe by president of "The Towing Alliance," according to this article, click here.

But I have to wonder if...

...this was not, in fact, some desperate last-ditch tactic by The Towing Alliance. Is it possible the Towing Alliance is throwing around allegations of graft and corruption on the part of public officials, and this was actually some kind of HALF-BAKED STING ATTEMPT BY THE TOWING ALLIANCE?

We know for a fact the FBI is involved in the controversy, click here, but it seems like everybody (except me) is assuming the FBI is there to investigate the Towing Alliance.

Well, I sure hope that's the case. I hope the FBI is all over the Towing Alliance "like white on rice." And I think the odds favor that conclusion, considering how corrupt The Towing Alliance is alleged to be.

But I say all we know for sure is the FBI is talking to the Towing Alliance. And that's all we will know until more news comes out. As for myself, I'm hoping that Christmas will arrive in a timely way, or possibly even a bit early, with some kind of news release about a federal indictment involving the Towing Alliance or--if it comes down to it--any public official who may have been in bed with The Alliance, and broke the law.

Or both.

Desperate For Details In The Wake Of An FBI Raid In St. Louis

2008-11-24T01:43:00.008-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

Like the reporter in Springfield, Massachusetts who couldn't get much information out of tight-lipped FBI officials, click here, the newspaper in St. Louis reported on the FBI seizing 26 vehicles from an impound lot, click here, but nobody seems to know why...

Nobody who is saying anything, anyway.

Online comments posted with the article--the ones who somehow managed to stay focused on relevant, non-theological topics--included some substantive remarks, but I found one of the remarks more substantive than all the others:

It's no wonder St. Louis can't manage to get major conventions. Gee, and you wonder why?

The image above is the St. Louis Convention Center. I can't help but notice nobody is parked out front.

Oh, another good remark: thank goodness for courageous journalism which exposes this kind of government scandal.

FBI Involvement In The St. Louis, Missouri S&H Towing Scandal

2008-11-24T00:38:00.010-06:00

Flickr.com Photo,
St. Louis Impound Lot

No sooner have I finished blogging about the FBI's sudden involvement in the Springfield, Massachusetts situation, click here, when there is publicity about the agency's actions with the ongoing S&H Towing mess in St. Louis...

Currently, KTVI is reporting FBI agents were "scattered all over the property," which KTVI could observe from a news helicopter, click here for details.

As I reported before when blogging about this situation, click here, the St. Louis FBI is asking anyone with a vehicle towed in the last five years to complete a brief survey on their website.

In the meantime, KVTI continues to provide great coverage of this predatory towing scandal, with more than half a dozen stories on their website.

FBI Involvement In The Springfield, Massachusetts "Towing Alliance" Scandal

2008-11-23T23:06:00.017-06:00

Flickr.com Photo,
J. Edgar Hoover Building

Ever since reading Peter Goonan's most recent article in The Republican, I've been trying to figure out what FBI Agent William T. Wittrock is doing in the middle of the mess with the Springfield Massachusetts Towing Alliance, an ongoing scandal which has hit this blog a few times...

Goonan didn't have a lot of info from the meeting, though not for lack of trying. So he wrote what he observed without adding speculation, exactly the way I used to teach my journalism students. And here is what Goonan observed:

1.) Agent Wittrock attended the Friday meeting of the Springfield city councilors and sat next to Towing Alliance President Robert L. Jones.

2.) Wittrock spoke to Jones in private after the meeting.

3.) The supervisor of the Springfield FBI office (how convenient to have one right in town!) isn't saying why Wittrock was there.

Reporter Peter Goonan, who deals in facts and not opinion, can't speculate. But I'm a blogger, and I can speculate.

And so I will. I did some digging about FBI Agent William T. Wittrock, and here is what I came up with. It's thin, but I think I reeled in a fish worth keeping.

White Collar Crime Involving Government Entities In Massachusetts

It's important to distinguish William T. Wittrock from the other folks who share the same name without the middle initial. There is a porn director named William Wittrock, but it's obviously not the same guy. The FBI special agent probably uses his middle initial for a very good reason, and I'm guessing the OTHER William Wittrock has something to do with it.

First of all, William T. Wittrock is--as one would expect of an FBI agent--a member of our nation's "best and brightest." In 1996, he won the first "Watt Award" at Canisius College. The award is given to recognize an "outstanding Communication Studies graduate." The brief article, click here, reveals Wittrock graduated from Canisius College in 1986, and by 1996 was working at the National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

A scholarly document about earthquakes which Wittrock helped to produce is found online, too, entitled "Preliminary Reports From The Hyogo-ken Nambu Earthquake of January 17, 1995."
Wittrock was the Graphic Design person who helped produce the article.

At some point, Wittrock ended up working for the FBI. And that's where things get really interesting. Wittrock, who once (apparently) studied the dry, technical details of earthquakes, now digs into sex, lies, and the dirty cash of white collar crime. (Hmmm, you have to wonder if the OTHER William Wittrock might be a cousin from a common ancestor)

A "Zoom Info" profile on William T. Wittrock contains a link to an article in the Boston Herald, published January 20, 2005. The article is no longer online, but a snippet printed on Zoom Info names Wittrock as the FBI's lead investigator in "the MCDI case," and says he testified about something involving "time sheets submitted with Ortiz's name."

Using "MCDI" and "Ortiz" as search terms, the details of this scandal turn up quickly enough, and it happened right in Springfield, Massachusetts. According to this article, click here, Springfield's former police commissioner--Gerald Phillips--was found guilty of stealing thousands of dollars from a city-run job training school. The scam involved "no show" jobs, including one for a muffin wrapper who didn't show up for work, but received rent, utilities and grocery bill payments in exchange for providing sex to Gerald Phillips.

And much, much more.

So the FBI was in the middle of THAT mess, and so was Agent William T. Wittrock. The agent's name also comes up in a 2007 story about bus monitor jobs for special needs students, click here. The jobs were "no show" jobs where a paycheck was collected, but no work was done.

So we have the beginnings of a pattern: in two instances, Wittrock was involved in investigation of funds diverted from government entities; a city run jobs program and a school transportation program.

I'm guessing Wittrock is investigating some of the same allegations with the Towing Alliance mess.

Where The Speculative Rubber Meets The Road Of Reality

But now, having lined up my facts, I have an opportunity to speculate. First of all, the FBI doesn't just wander into a case. Somebody in authority calls the FBI, providing evidence of the need to get the agency involved. In the case of the towing alliance, a lot of financial records fell into the hands of the city, and money didn't add up. So it's possible somebody in the city contacted the FBI.

But there's another possibility. Maybe it was the Towing Alliance who contacted the FBI. The Towing Alliance is fighting for its life, and it's just POSSIBLE (I'm not saying LIKELY) the leadership of the Springfield Towing Alliance has information about payoffs being diverted, possibly even to public officials. In the unsavory position of fighting for its life, the Towing Alliance is likely to spill all the dirt, and let the chips fall where they may.

Only one fact makes me think in this way: William T. Wittrock sat NEXT TO Towing Alliance President Robert T. Jones at the public meeting.

Was this just an aggressive G-man approach to contact Jones, who was sure to be at that meeting? Sure, it's possible. Like an 800-pound gorilla, the FBI sits wherever it wants.

But usually, people who sit NEXT TO each other are communicating, cooperating. If I considered somebody a suspect, I'd be more likely to sit BEHIND them, or a few seats away where I could keep an eye on 'em. But then again...it's not always possible to have a choice of seats at a public meeting. Who knows?

This much I'm sure of: we haven't heard the last of this. And I'd bet a bucket of used axle grease that word will come of an FBI investigation involving towing in Springfield, if not by the end of this year then early in the next year.

All of this just underscores my ultimate point: transparency and accountability is the only way to get the graft out of the towing industry, in Springfield or anywhere else.

But another piece of good advice: don't practice white collar crime in a city where there's an FBI headquarters. They won't have far to walk to start an investigation. And, hey, with a new president who captured the votes of the poor and the downtrodden...maybe it's the worst of all times to be involved in predatory towing scams. I hope so.

EXTREME AND MASSIVE Predatory Towing Ring Busted In Boyton Beach, Florida

2008-11-23T20:33:00.006-06:00

Flickr.com Photo

It always does my heart good to see a predatory towing scam busted by police, but this one in Boynton Beach, Florida was OFF THE SCALE. According to this article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, (click here) a family-run towing business faces 500 charges, including 390 felonies.

I have to wonder...

...is there a death penalty for predatory towing? Believe me when I say many anonymous on-line comments were suggesting it in the chat threads of the Sun Sentinel.

According to reporter Dianna Cahn, police say the owners of Access Express Towing and Transport were removing signs in a lot on the 1100 block of North Federal Highway. They'd remove the signs and swipe cars, actually driving their tow truck the wrong way on Federal Highway to be even MORE sneaky. (I sincerely hope they are charged with a raft of traffic tickets on top of everything else)

This happened 90 times over a period of 6 months. So why didn't police act faster once they had documentation of what was happening? Numerous online commentators are asking the same question in the threads of the Sun Sentinel. It's a fair question, especially since these bloodsuckers were charging "between $55 and $335 for people to retrieve the cars."

To make matters worse, the owner of the parking lot didn't even know this was happening. So, hopefully, dozens of counts of trespassing can be tossed on top of all the other charges.

POLICE ARE SEEKING INFORMATION FROM VICTIMS. Dianna Cahn's article contained this contact information, but clearly the Boynton Beach Police would like the info promulgated, so here goes: Anyone who had their vehicle towed from that parking lot by Access Express Towing is asked to call 561-742-6827 or Crime Stoppers at 561-458-8477.

Taken For A Ride At The Texas State Fair By Predatory Towing

2008-11-23T19:25:00.008-06:00

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Amanda Miller was one of a number of people (allegedly) scammed by Lone Star Auto Services at the Texas State Fair, and she said so in an online forum. Amanda also said anybody who wanted the details about this now-infamous incident could contact her. So...

I sent Amanda an email, and soon enough she wrote her first person account and forwarded it.

Here it is.

WE DROVE FROM OKLAHOMA CITY TO DALLAS on Friday, October 10 for the OU/Texas game. We had a great time the night before. We hit the sports bars in the area, partied with people from "both sides of the fence," and attended the rally in the West End Marketplace. Best night I had in a long time.

The next morning we left our hotel at 8:30 thinking we had plenty of time to make it to the game, which had an 11 a.m. kickoff. The exit we needed to get off on was closed, so we had to drive an additional two miles. Once there, we were directed by police to parking areas; coming around a corner we were waived into a lot by five men in orange vests. We paid our $10 to park and headed to the game.

At around 8 p.m., we left the fairgrounds to head to our car and leave. We planned on hitting the bars that night to mingle with everybody else. After walking--on my bad foot, I might add, I had surgery on my left foot a week before the game--almost a mile to the lot we parked in, we were in for a rude surprise. The lot was completely empty, including our car, and there was now a "No Parking--Violators Will Be Towed By Lone Star Auto" with their phone number on it.

Panicking, I called the number and got a busy signal for about ten minutes....

(Editor's note: right here is where a website would have been handy, where individuals can just look up their cars online and not experience that whole minutes, hours, days of panic thing)

We had to hitch a ride with another parking attendant from another lot, since we didn't know where we were. They finally answered the phone, and promptly hung up on me.

Arriving at the lot, I immediately knew we were NOT in the wrong: there was a line of people all the way to the street, around 6 police cars, and a news van. I explained to the officer what happened (while crying!) who informed me I had the exact same story as all the others, and I needed to get in line.

After waiting 3-4 hours, I paid $200 (cash or debit only!) to get my vehicle out of impound. The woman behind the counter was rude and nasty, and we spent a good 30 minutes searching the lot for our vehicle because they couldn't tell us where it was.

The police stated they were there to keep the peace and couldn't file any reports because it was a domestic case. The newspapers the next day stated the police said people refused to file reports, so therefore nothing could be done--bull(expletive)!

Because so many people were scammed, this story made the headline news that Saturday night and the front page of the Dallas Morning News. I immediately went to work, calling anyone who would listen--newspapers, news casters, lawyers, City of Dallas.

The story a few days later said the company claimed they were not in the wrong, but other stories were dug up from the past about them. A news reporter from Channel 9 here in Oklahoma City went to my fiance's work for a story, and started contacting the company directly to get this taken care of.

I signed onto a class action lawsuit. The company called me--yes, called me!--and informed me that I was wasting my time, the towing company had nothing to do with this, etc.

I asked why, if they are the victims, too, weren't they even trying to cooperate with the attorneys, the city, etc? She hung up on me. Then, one day, the Texas Attorney General opened up an investigation on them--and we received a full refund in the mail. Well, it was actually $187--less than what I paid by $13, but I took that and shut up.

Would I go to the fair again? Yes, because up until that, I had a great time at the fair and at the game. Will I park there? NO! I will take the DART. Texas Towing is also still being investigated, the last I heard the Texas Department of License and Regulations was inspecting them for failure to cooperate.

Towing Utopia Dot Com says: Amanda, keep us informed of any new developments.

A "Barking Dog" Foreshadowed The Fall Of Lone Star Auto Services

2008-11-16T16:30:00.015-06:00

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Long before the City of Dallas yanked their towing license, (which is being appealed on December 4) way before the Texas State Attorney General launched an investigation of their unseemly business practices, it was possible to see trouble was a-brewin' with Lone Star Auto Services...

Here is an example from RipOff Report Dot Com, click here, which detailed a dubious and expensive tow-jacking of an 18-wheeler from a truck stop.

On Yelp.com, a service rather like "Merchant Circle Dot Com," Lone Star racked up two negative reviews, click here. There was actually no review on Merchant Circle, so I took care of that PERSONALLY, click here. Lone Star racked up a "zero percent like it" on a "best of the web local" site. The only poster to add a comment (before I did, that is) urged anybody reading to simply Google the company to find out more about their various scandals.

But the "Barking Dogs" blog probably picked up the scent of Lone Star before anybody else, check out this "blogger investigation" of Lone Star apparently towing from a parking lot without authorization, click here. If anything was "the writing on the wall," it was probably that investigation by Barking Dogs.

There have been TWENTY-ONE ARTICLES about this situation, and I'm sure that number will increase as the investigation unfolds. But who had their teeth in it first? The bloggers. The blogosphere. THE BARKING DOGS OF THE BLOGOSPHERE, BABY.

Harsh Texas Style Justice For "Lone Star Auto Services"

2008-11-16T15:41:00.013-06:00

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When Lone Star Auto Services had its Dallas license revoked earlier this month, 21 news articles hit the internet. Seldom has...

...a disgraced towing company gone down so hard and in such a public way. Here is a sample of the news coverage, from the Dallas Morning News, click here.

I blogged about this situation when it first came to my awareness, after the Texas State Fair towing incidents, click here. A pattern quickly arose of upset Texas citizens making complaints and comparing notes, which I blogged about here, click, and also here, click.

Now, according to the Dallas News--and plenty of others!--city officials say this misconduct was a pattern for years. The State Attorney General is looking into the situation, too.

Appeal Process Gives Lone Star Some "Slack"

If Lone Star files an appeal, the company will have up to 60 days to operate while the appeal process is completed. They can also just reincorporate under a new name and license, unfortunately, so there is discussion about "tightening the rules" in Dallas. Such a tightening wouldn't be hard to anticipate: if you have a towing license revoked in Dallas, you or a company in which you own interest can't get another license in Dallas. FOREVER.

Well, OK, I guess the law can't say "forever." So how about...ten years? OK, I'll compromise.

FIFTEEN.

Will Other Predatory Towers Reform?

Right now, the assistant director of City of Dallas Public Works And Transportation Department is saying the city isn't "targeting" anyone else, but what happened to Lone Star should be "taken as a message."

In my observation, such a "message" is useless. Not warnings, but only systemic changes root out abuse, and the best changes involve transparency: individuals being able to track towing in real time via the internet, and being able to access old data for investigation, if needed. This Lone Star situation could have never happened if the data about their (blatantly illegal) overcharges had been available online several years ago.

New York State Is Still Celebrating Its New Predatory Towing Law

2008-11-16T14:38:00.008-06:00

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About a month ago, I wrote about a new law in New York that will ban "fee splitting" and other unethical practices. Media in New York State seem to be waking up to the reality of the new law, and...

...here is an example of an article, click here, which can be described as "celebratory" of the law. One cool aspect of the article is the fact it recognizes the Oyster Bay Town Clerk who had the seminal idea for the law.

In the article, one state legislator actually used the phrase "held hostage by predatory towers" and he also said some companies have been involved in "luring" drivers to park in "forbidden" areas with inadequate NO PARKING signs. Under the new law the State Attorney General has the power to STOP BUSINESSES FROM PERFORMING SUCH PRACTICES and SEEK CIVIL DAMAGES.

More than a month later, it seems like New York State is still "dancing in the streets" over its victory. Good job, New York State.

Are Predatory Towing Companies Using Internet "Shills?"

2008-11-15T23:48:00.006-06:00

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If you become VERY specialized, and you view certain highly-specific phenomenon on a daily basis, you start to notice interesting patterns nobody else sees...

Suddenly I'm seeing one of those patterns. I am convinced there are pro-predatory towing interests who are routinely using paid viral marketing "shills" to post comments like this one, right here:

"What problem ? Park illegally on private property that is posted and your car is private property impouded. (sic) What is the problem ? The towing companies have a contract with the property owner and that is the way it is. They do not just tow from where ever they want. They must have a contract with the property owner.Don't park your car like a freakin jerk and it won't get towed. Duh ?"

What gets my attention is the phrase "private property towing." I've seen this phrase tossed around as a kind of "push back" to individuals using the consciousness-raising phrase "predatory and abusive towing." In the comment streams of the various articles I turn up...all of which concern some aspect of predatory and abusive towing, or towing regulation...I keep coming across comments incredibly similar to the one above. Similar remarks keep getting posted on comment streams.

I've been noticing this for months...but also NOT noticing it. Unconsciously, I just figured in every towing discussion, there might be local predatory towers (or just plain negative, carping commentators) who jump into the discussion.

But now I'm realizing these comments are TOO SIMILAR and TOO WIDELY DISPERSED. It was the towing article about the situation in Tampa that woke me up. There's ONE COMMENT posted. One. Plus posting this comment requires a rather tedious registration process with the Tampa paper.

Either somebody has a lot of time on their hands at the towing dispatch office...or some entity earning money from predatory towing activities is actually COMPENSATING certain individuals to keep pouring comments into the internet, heaping abuse on the victims of predatory towing so they will think complaining, rising up, organizing, contributing their information to a blog like this one is just...stupid.

So I'm calling this out. I'm convinced shills are being employed, as they are employed with magic tricks or the classic "shell game" to fool the crowd and cheat victims.

When I see this happening, I plan to post my own comments and maybe link back to this particular blog post.

Tallahassee Sets Its Sights On Predatory Towing

2008-11-15T23:08:00.005-06:00

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Hillsborough County, Florida, is contemplating a law to crack down on predatory towing companies, according to this article, (click here) and the sensible proposal has caught the attention of state legislators who represent Hillsborough County...

Word is NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS about "patrol towing" in front of restaurants and bars has sparked the proposal, and the proposed bill would allow the county's Transportation Commission to "go after these guys and take their license away," alleviating a tremendous enforcement burden on the Tampa Police Department and the sheriff's office.

Hopefully, the Transportation Commission would be open to some other ideas...like transparency in the towing process, with vehicle data available on the internet. Once the big, ugly problem of aggressive "patrol towing" is licked, one begins to see a plethora of smaller issues associated with towing, issues which also need solving.

Beyond the City of Tampa, there is the rest of Florida to consider. I don't know if anybody outside of Orlando was paying attention to the ugly situation in that city, but links to a number of articles about that situation were collected on this blog. Clearly, Florida's problem is bigger than Tampa or, for that matter, Tampa as well as Orlando.

The blog of Sean Cruz in Portland, Oregon cries out against the practice of "patrol towing," which is actually against the law in both Washington State and Oregon, according to Cruz. Maybe the State of Florida will soon follow suit. I hope so.

North Minneapolis Tow Truck Driver Assaulted. Yes, Again.

2008-11-15T01:01:00.006-06:00

Or Not. Flickr.com Photo

This happens every so often in North Minneapolis, and I blogged about it before, click here. But it has happened yet again...

Word comes to me, as it usually does, through the "Fourth Precinct Highlights" which go out weekly by email, and cover notable criminal incidents in North Minneapolis. (Other parts of Minneapolis have their "Precinct Highlights," too, but are they as cool as North Minneapolis? I doubt it)

So here is what went down a couple weeks ago, according to the police:

ROBBERY 34TH & PENN TUESDAY 2010 HOURS 08-333418 Tow truck driver robbed by three 19-22 year old Males when he arrived to pickup a tow. One suspect put a gun to his head and made him lay on the ground, another had a second gun and suspects went through his pockets taking his phone and keys.

I should say it's very interesting they took the tow truck driver's PHONE and KEYS but not a WALLET or any MONEY. It's almost like the three males wanted to stop the tow, and they wanted to get away without the police being called, but robbery was NOT the motive. Furthermore, did they beat the living daylights out of him? There is no indication this tow truck driver had a FINGER laid on him.

I do not approve of criminal actions. But if you push people too far, for too long, and try to snatch their precious possessions away from them on some stupid technicality...some people will rise up and fight back. YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE of why it would be good to have a system which notifies citizens by cellphone and email, simultaneously, of an impending tow so they can "move it or lose it."

Towing Companies Are Truly "Cleaning Up" In Boston

2008-11-13T22:41:00.005-06:00

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An opinion columnist at the esteemed Boston Globe was RIGHT ON with a commentary about towing companies "cleaning up" during street sweeping and...

...lording over improperly parked cars like these towing companies are acting on behalf of Homeland Security, or something. Here is the column, click here.

Yes, it's more than a year old. But guess what? These problems haven't changed in all that time, and no new solutions have been applied.

Why can't cities notify vehicle owners of an impending tow by phone and email? What's up with this crude, archaic system of hanging paper on doorknobs? Local governments can do better. Well, apparently Boston barely even does THAT much, (hanging notices on doorknobs) and Boston citizens are paying a heavy price.

Meanwhile, shills for the towing companies submit online comments about, oh gee, citizens who don't move their car for several days deserve whatever they get, and these shills rip into a fine opinion piece by a columnist who obviously cares about her city.

An All-Too-Typical Towing Scandal In Salinas, California

2008-11-13T17:44:00.012-06:00

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The situation in Salinas, California is so familiar, so common that I actually spent quite some time searching my own blog to make sure I hadn't already written something. But, nope, it's yet another juicy California towing scandal, and the details are in this article, click here.

Yes, it's all so sweetly, achingly familiar. (And here's another version of the same story, from another publication.) Ah, yes, here we have the...

...outraged owner of a rough-and-tumble towing company, accused of contract violations, but he's saying it's ALL A CONSPIRACY by authorities in cahoots with another towing company. Accusations are made by the unpopular towing entity, and the mess ends up in court. The accusations are detailed, seemingly plausible, but what is ultimately proven? When pigs throw mud at each other, at the end of the day they're still all pigs wallowing in mud. And the whole towing industry, all over America, is rife with lucrative corruption and dangerously unregulated.

Why does this story in Salinas, California remind me SO MUCH of the situation in Springfield, Massachusetts with the Towing Alliance? Honestly, it's like watching a sci-fi movie about good guys fighting an "evil empire" and realizing, gee, haven't I seen this same plot before with different actors?

Ugly Highlights, If You Wanna Call 'Em That

Here are some of the more noteworthy and disturbing elements of this particular scandal, according to both the articles.

* The owners of Century Towing, Angel Garcia, Senior and Junior, and damage claims are estimated at a quart of a million dollars.

* Nine companies, including Century, paid the city as much as $18,000 a year to be in a rotation for vehicles the police wanted towed. The companies are called in alphabetical order. However, it appears there was favoritism showed to a company owned by a police officer who also--wouldn't you know it?--was involved in supervising towing. These accusations hold water because the officer has, in fact, been HARSHLY disciplined by the police department for conflicts of interest.

* "Outspoken" individuals who questioned conflicts of interest supposedly faced retaliation.

* But does any of this change the fact there were contractual violations by Century Towing? As of today, November 13, the Salinas Police Department STILL wants to kick Century off the rotation for using an unapproved driver and not providing workman's compensation insurance, among other things.

The Solution: Technology And Transparency

The old-fashioned "alphabetical clip board" isn't good enough. There should be a system for car owners, police, insurance companies, towing companies, etc., to track these vehicles. If there is favoritism being shown to one company, it will become apparent soon enough, because everybody will have easy access to the same data.

Yup, I've said it before. Plenty of times. But the thing is...it's always the same sort of towing scandal themes, and the same solution applies over and over. I hope Salinas starts to "get it," because a quarter of a million dollars is a lot of money in this tough economy. Well, heck...in any kind of economy.

Plea Bargain In Ames, Iowa Predatory Towing Fees Case

2008-11-12T20:46:00.008-06:00

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I blogged about the situation in Ames, Iowa a while back, click here, and now it turns out justice has finally run its course...

It's not a very SATISFYING course. Click here to read the article.

So the way it shakes out: No jail time. No guilty plea. A bit of restitution. And the name "Mike Louis Auto Body Repair and Towing" is INFAMOUS if I have anything to say about it.

So, yeah, I went to "Merchant Circle Dot Com" and submitted a review about the plea bargain. I find this practice very satisfying. So often stuff is in the media about a bad business, but nobody submits a "Merchant Circle" review to make sure the information has an impact on consumer choices.

A commenter on this blog called it right: Mike Louis hadn't been in the position long enough to shake very much money out of the insurance companies.

On the bright side, the authorities caught him and they made him stop. Other cities and states should be so lucky. Sometimes these situations drag on for many years, and involve hundreds of thousands of dollars. The solution is simple: make towing systems transparent and accessible by internet to all concerned parties.

Just like there should be no "secret jails" in a democracy, there should be no "mysterious impounds" where your car--a symbol of liberty for Americans--has been snatched in the dark of night, and now you're not sure where to find it, while outrageous demands for ransom are put forth by people claiming lawful authority EXACTLY LIKE THIS JERK IN AMES, IOWA was claiming.

Springfield, Massachusetts Tries To Rise From Predatory Towing Issues

2008-11-11T22:01:00.005-06:00

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I might be one of twelve people in the world to get excited over the final paragraph of reporter Peter Goonan's recent story in "The Republican," but...

...Springfield is in the midst of defeating an "evil empire" called "The Towing Alliance," and I've blogged about this four times already, here is the previous post, click. "The Towing Alliance" is currently trying to make a last-ditch comeback but it's looking pretty grim...and thank goodness!

Goonan's recent story about how "Springfield hires (are) set to go ahead" included a single paragraph about solving the predatory towing mess, as follows:

"The Police Department is also hiring a grants and contract specialist, who will be responsible for pursuing and overseeing grants and to serve as compliance officer for towing. Those responsibilities have been handled by other personnel including officers, said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet."

I can understand the "towing compliance officer" may need to have other duties, and I'm glad to hear those duties consist of "grant writing" because that particular task requires somebody very sharp and detail-oriented. But the whole key to reforming this broken-down towing system is access to information, not mere "oversight" by somebody with a firm hand. The best oversight is to have many eyes watching the system, to have TRANSPARENCY as public administration folks like to say. Yes, I believe it. It's my "towing utopia gospel."

Any city could find itself in the same mess as Springfield. And many do. But seldom is there such a cool name involved. THE TOWING ALLIANCE! Wow. Who shall face down the evil of "The Towing Alliance?"

In this case, it is apparently "The Council."

Towing Company Employees Looted Fatal Crash Site

2008-11-11T00:14:00.007-06:00

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According to a recent news report by KDKA in Pennsylvania, tow truck drivers looted numerous high-quality pocket knives at the...

...site of a fatal truck crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They gave some of the pocket knives to firemen as "souvenirs." The firemen later returned the pocket knives.

This, in my mind, differs greatly from the "lobster salvage incident" I blogged about in another post, click here. In fact, you might even call it "robbing the dead."

But, hey...it's rough-and-tumble, dangerously unregulated industry. You see it all the time. What's surprising is not when it happens, but when it actually makes the news. I'm guessing this was mostly because it was such a large, valuable cargo of pocket knives plus it was the site of a fatal wreck. Otherwise, one is not likely to hear about minor acts of looting by tow truck drivers, which are pretty much a daily or even hourly occurrence.

And, then again, you have drivers that are honest and heroic.

Or sometimes even both!

With this unsavory incident, the State of Pennsylvania just hit my "towing utopia national map."

In Chicago, "The Cost Of Corruption Is Passed On To You, The Car Owner"

2008-11-10T23:59:00.004-06:00

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In Chicago, a tow truck driver wore a wire to document crooked cops involved fraud. According to this article in cbs2chicago.com, the...

...wiretaps started "after CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman exposed widespread fraud in the towing industry two years ago."

This is a POORLY-REGULATED INDUSTRY and it INVITES FRAUD. A lot of this stuff that went down in Chicago couldn't have happened if towing data had been accessible to all parties--police, owners, insurance companies, municipalities--with a stake in towing.

So what did happen? Well, check out the article for the dirty details, but in summary: tow truck drivers had to pay police to get tows, cops selling guns to tow truck drivers, police asking tow truck drivers to steal cars and plant guns in vehicles, cops staging accidents for insurance fraud, and that kind of thing.

The costs were, according to the informant, passed on to the consumer.

All the evidence I see tells me Chicago is the tip of the iceberg. This kind of corruption happens where there isn't widespread oversight and shared data when it comes to towing.

Some "Predatory Towing Justice" In Riverside County, California

2008-11-06T20:38:00.006-06:00

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According to allegations reported by MyDesert.com in this article, (click here) Desert Automotive Specialists were raided for an investigation that grew out of "several illegal tows" at One Quail Place Apartments in Palm Desert...

I've reported on this ship of fools called Desert Automotive Specialists in the past, click here for an example, but they just keep getting themselves in deeper. This is the same outfit accused of painting curbs red to justify illegal tows, an action that inspired me to write parody lyrics to the song "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones, click here for that blog post.

After reading the latest story, I have to wonder...how are these folks still in business. Why doesn't Riverside County somehow regulate towing better and then YANK THE LICENSE OF THESE PREDATORY CLOWNS?

He's Never Going To Bluffton, South Carolina Again After Predatory Towing Incident

2008-11-01T17:52:00.026-05:00

Flickr.com Photo (They're dressed as CRABS)

Though Richard P. Wampler said he had fun beyond his wildest expectations at the "Arts & Seafood Festival," according to this article, he's never going to stop and spend money in Bluffton, South Carolina again because after parking in a place where parking appeared to be allowed, he spent the day at the festival mingling, watching his daughter create a ceramic piece, presumably eating some sea food...and then when he came back, the place where he parked had paper "no parking" signs added and his car was gone. Getting the vehicle back cost $200.

Wampler wrote a letter saying, in so many words, he will never come back to Bluffton, South Carolina.

You know, I see this kind of thing all the time: "towed at the festival," I call it. It happens when a bunch of people gather at some happy, usually ANNUAL event such as the Texas State Fair or a crayfish boil. Those are two examples from this blog which immediately come to mind.

So people go to the FESTIVE THING, they come back and, whoah, their car is gone. And, amazingly, all their fun is gone, too. Fun is often our MEMORY of fun. We spend relatively little time actually having fun. We spend a lot of time REMEMBERING how much fun we had. So when a towing incident happens, it's like you just got robbed of all your fun, because of how the fun day ended.

I hope people keep on writing letters to the editor when these things happen, because it seems to be the only way some public officials take notice of the fact they just lost years and years of tourist dollars, because they can't call off their big, metal, abusive and predatory towing dogs.

Oh, also...this information adds yet another new state to the Towing Utopia national road map. (Do not click "Read More.")

(Do not click "Read More")

Unethical "Fee Splitting" Practice Banned In New York State

2008-10-30T16:09:00.005-05:00

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.

The End Of An Evil Towing Empire In Springfield, Mass. (Or Is It?)

2008-10-30T15:25:00.010-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

Springfield is terminating its contract with the Springfield "Towing Alliance" as of midnight tomorrow, according to an article in The Republican. An earlier article gives more background.

One of my own sources (and I do have some) recently spoke to police in that city and...

...reports police said they have "good documentation of fees and expenses" and there is "no way" the Towing Alliance is coming back. I don't know, though. The whole "alliance" struggle reminds me of Star Wars and there is ALWAYS a sequel, even if it's to be found on the Cartoon Network. The defeated side will lick its wounds, then create a big...towing death star thingie or...something.

However, in the meantime, a judge in Superior Court is ordering records preserved while reviewing the dispute. The "Towing Alliance" isn't going to make this pretty, and apparently hopes to sue its way into the good graces of city officials. I have to say it's kind of nice to see city officials--who are so often the ones who unleash predatory towing entities on citizens--experiencing the bare knuckle, aggressive, mean-spirited tactics which so often citizens are left to endure alone.

Yeah, Springfield City Government...check out the ugly face of predatory and abusive towing. Incredibly--and the article reported this without a hint of irony or humor--the Towing Alliance wants $3.2 million in compensation for vehicles stored AT THE CITY'S OWN TOWING YARD ON CHANDLER STREET.

Outrageous. I hope there is a counter-suit looming.

The city is trying to get a restraining order to allow access to computerized records. Yeah, well, this is what happens when all the parties in the system don't have access to the same data base, including the citizens whose cars are towed who are trying to locate their vehicles.

Again, another ugly, painful and expensive lesson for Springfield, Massachusetts. I just hope the Towing Alliance gets the worst of it, in the end. I have a feeling they will.

Passaic, New Jersey, Stands Up To Aggressive Towing

2008-10-30T14:48:00.008-05:00

Flickr.com photo

Appalling stories of aggressive towing have led the city of Passaic, New Jersey to increase the price of parking tickets, but (quite sensibly) refrain from towing vehicles during street cleaning days, according to North Jersey Dot Com.

City drivers are...

...reportedly "applauding" the new system, where fines for parking go from $37 to $74, still much cheaper than getting towed.

Notably, the difficulties citizens have in Passaic seem to revolve more around TIME than MONEY, since the inefficient retrieval process takes many hours and some people are forced to take off the whole day. Councilman Chaim Munk helped lead the reform, and so gets a positive mention from this blog. Oily thumbs up to ya, Chaim!

These imperfect but positive reforms are the result of hundreds of residents in the city's Third Ward signing a petition against aggressive towing after the city changed parking rules to clean streets and keep storm drains free of debris.

The aggressive towing company which helped cause all the trouble--Raineri's Towing Company--wasn't commenting for North Jersey Dot Com. No surprise there.

Passaic, New Jersey proves that a petition with just a few hundred signatures can actually lead to positive towing reforms. Be inspired, citizens. Be very inspired.

Predatory Towing King Of Frederick, Maryland Cries "Police Harassment"

2008-10-22T22:02:00.006-05:00

Flickr.com Photo, Frederick, Maryland

The police in Frederick, Maryland sound like they're doing a great job, making a vigorous effort to keep Clint "Predatory Towing King" Hoffman from running rampant. So what does the Predatory Towing King do...

According to this article, he cries "police harassment" and tries to catch incidents on videotape of his "victimization." Despite being more hated in Frederick, Maryland than people who don't scoop pitbull poop, Clint is running for MAYOR.

Yes, MAYOR.

I guess this must be a town where the position of dogcatcher isn't up for election.

If Clint Hoffman were running for Mayor, and a ham sandwich were running against him as a write-in candidate, I'm sure the ham sandwich would win, by a landslide. But on a positive note, whine-baby Clint Hoffman just caused me to write my very first Maryland entry, and put that state on the "Towing Utopia" road map.

Graffiti, Vandalism, Filth, Panhandling And PREDATORY TOWING In Ashville, South Carolina

2008-10-22T21:46:00.005-05:00

Flickr.com photo, Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina wants to attract tourists, so they're having a meeting to talk about some negative things that might drive tourists away...

Their list of civic concerns discussed in this article, click here, made my day: Graffiti. Vandalism. Filth. Panhandling. And Predatory Towing.

Asheville needs to work on the listing order a little more, though. Which one of these things costs tourists the most? Which one makes a visitor to the city vow, "I'll never go there again?" Yup, predatory towing.

List predatory towing FIRST, I say.

As with substance addiction, admitting you have a problem is the first step toward getting help. I sure hope Asheville manages to lick its predatory towing habit.

(Naked, obese cherubs? Nah...not really an issue for most folks)

San Antonio Hides Its Dirty "Texas Towing" Laundry

2008-10-22T21:10:00.005-05:00

Flickr.com photo

After a blistering exchange some months ago about about the deficiencies of "Texas Towing," which I blogged about here, San Antonio inexplicably renewed its contact with the firm and appeared reluctant to air its dirty laundry. Local media...

...like the reporter who wrote this article, click here, were mystified, and said so openly. Was any of the rancor sincere, or was it all a negotiating strategy? Or did the city government just back down in the face of a powerful monster they themselves have created, with plenty of money to pay lawyers and drag this matter out in court FOREVER?

I vote for the second one.

Death Of A Towing Dream In Ohio

2008-10-22T20:25:00.007-05:00

Flickr.com photo

Danny Birt of Gahanna, Ohio, dreamed of being a tow truck driver. So he did what a lot of folks do who have that precious childhood dream: Danny he got himself a tow truck, and started holding cars for ransom. The only problem was...

According to this article, click here, Birt "towed cars from private lots without the consent of the owners and impounded the vehicles until their owners paid him a fee."

Uh huh. Well, isn't that what tow truck drivers do EVERY DAY? Apparently, Danny Birt and his company, On-Demand Towing, got away with it about TWENTY TIMES before he got caught. And no, Danny wasn't an IMPOSTER. He was just...too enthusiastic.

So Birt will have to do a year's probation. The real punishment, I suppose, is the death of his dream.

OR IS IT? Now that Birt's been convicted of stealing cars, he may be a lot more qualified to get a real job in the business of predatory towing. Oh, wait...he already has one!

Mob Justice--Internet Style!

I made a point of submitting a review for On-Demand Towing at a merchant's site. If you are treated badly by a business--not just a towing business, but any business--use the power of the internet to air your grievance. Let me tell you, it was a good feeling to write the first review of On-Demand Towing, and let people know Danny Wirth is on probation.

"The Alliance" Is Defeated In Springfield, Mass.

2008-10-22T19:32:00.008-05:00

Photo By John Hoff, Star Wars Trivial Pursuit

The situation with the "towing alliance" in Springfield, Massachusetts has finally come to a head, and it looks like a humiliating retreat toward the Ice Planet of Hoth or wherever an "alliance" in defeat goes...

Here's the article which discusses how the City of Springfield invoked its right to terminate with 30 days notice, no need to state a cause, though in fact there was documentation of something like 17 violations. I blogged about this twice before, click here and also here.

Usually, the Springfield blog known as "The Intruder" weighs in on these issues involving the "towing alliance" after the mainstream media in Springfield break the story. I'm guessing the pattern will continue, and in a few days or a week The Intruder will have an obsessive level of detail for those of us who require it.

Predatory Towing Reform May Happen In Rexburg, Idaho

2008-10-22T19:14:00.005-05:00

Flickr.com Photo, BYU Rexburg, Idaho

It only took a decade of complaints from victimized students, most of them from BYU-Idaho. What is the lesson in this? Well,...

If reform takes a decade, better start complaining RIGHT NOW.

According to this article, the proposed ordinance in Rexburg, Idaho aims to address towing concerns at a particular apartment complex, where tow trucks have ranged freely, snatching cars. Now, a representative from the apartment complex will have to be on-site, no more "patrol towing." And there will be an appeals board, too.

It sounds like a good model, especially for what sounds like a rather small town situation. I hope some sympathetic people get on the board. Indeed, students who were victimized should make a point of "packing the board," if at all possible.

This is my first post about Idaho, and it's a great way to put that state on the "Towing Utopia" road map!

Following Threads Of Info, Blog-O-Sphere Gets The Dirt On "Lone Star Towing"

2008-10-22T18:59:00.005-05:00

Flickr.com photo

A blogger who is part of something called "Barking Dogs" has very little sympathy for people who get towed, but despite that huge flaw in his character, this guy dug up an amazing amount of dirt about Lone Star Towing, and how the company appears to be slapping on illegal surcharges and putting this money right in their pockets...

Click here for a link to the blog posting, "Dallas-area towing service ripping people off, $43 at a time." The "Barking Dogs" blogger in question continues to solicit documents about Lone Star, in particular the dubious surcharges. Lone Star Towing is the same company involved in the suspicious incidents at the Cotton Bowl, which I blogged about here and also here.

Predatory Towing Justice--TEXAS STYLE!!!!

2008-10-22T18:27:00.006-05:00

Flickr.com photo

Thanks to the media--and certainly no other reason--numerous auto owners who were towed during the Texas State Fair will get refunds. I blogged about it a few days ago, but there has been a positive development...

...discussed in this article, click here. In a nutshell: everybody is getting refunds and Lone Star Towing says it was all just a big, unfortunate mistake. Uh huh.

Mob Justice--Internet Style!

As short as this article was, it received a heated response in the online comments section. Here's my cherry-picking of the best comments.

Texasstarsun wrote: Dallas is known for scams like this. I lived a few miles from the Cottonbowl a few years ago.

Irving wrote: The towing company's "pigeon drop" backfired and it blew up in their face. They just didn't figure on it making front page news.

Shaun3342 wrote: (In regard to the towing company offering a $1,000 reward for arrest of the persons who set up the "parking scam") Start the investigation under your own roof. It's as comical as O.J. looking for "the real killers."

Hautedame wrote: This is not a new game for the towing companies. I had this happen once years ago in College Station while parked on the street in front of my own home. It was game day and some sorry towing company came through, put up their own flimsy little signs, and towed my car. We fought it but the police were no help. The hard reality was that the towing company held the car for ransom and we had to cough up cash to get it back.

Jane71 wrote: While I was living in Dallas, my care broke down on the side of the street two blocks from my house...so I walked home and called a towing company to take it to a garage. Lo and behold, the towing company I called out took my car to the city impound instead! The impound told me the towing company ignored my instructions because they could make $10 more taking it to the impound, as though it happens all the time!

I called the towing company to give them a piece of my mind. They said if they see a car parked on the side of the street, then they are within their legal right to take it to the impound, regardless of whether I called the towing company or not. For the towing company to make the extra $10, it cost me $200 in pound fees, plus another $50 to have the car towed from the pound to the garage.

Just The Fax wrote: I'm willing to bet my last dollar against a donut hole that Lone Star Towing has their fingers right in the middle of things. All the media pressure and accusations caused the wrecker company to act like they were innocent about the situation and will do the right thing by refunding the money.

"Those To Whom Evil Is Done Do Evil In Return"

2008-10-22T17:43:00.012-05:00

Photo by John Hoff, Bedlam Theater

Word comes of a disturbing incident at a towing company lot. A man who was not allowed to retrieve his medicine and was told to leave came back. He came back with an AK-47...

The story is told here, click at this link, and note how the facts related about what the man was told about getting his property shifts. Truth is a slippery thing in the best of times, but these are clearly not the best of times as the smoke clears and blood pools on pavement.

One of version of the story says the guy was told he had to leave the property, and he should go, and police were called about an "unwanted guest." Yeah, an "unwanted guest." More like a guy desperate to retrieve his meds from his vehicle, very likely the medicine which helps to shut off the voices in his head telling him to do bad stuff. Another version of the story--and you can compare the two, side by side at this link--says the man was told he had to return with "proof of ownership."

Yeah, well...a lot of people carry that stuff IN THEIR CAR, don't they?

I do not approve of this kind of violence. I don't even approve of the cartoon antics of Angle Grinder Man, click here. But a few nights ago I was watching "Body of Lies" and the movie started with a quote by the poet W.H. Auden, who said, "I and the public know/ What all schoolchildren learn/Those to whom evil is done/ Do evil in return."

What Do These Two Stories Have In Common?

In for a dime, in for a dollar. Click here for a story about a 20-year-old woman who tried to torch a tow truck making off with her vehicle. What do these two stories have in common? Other than a common theme of violence in the face of predatory towing?

In both cases, individuals in the comment sections of the stories took a similar stance. 1.) Condemning the violence, 2.) Stating basic variations on the words of W.H. Auden. People don't go over the edge all by themselves. Somebody pushes them there.

A Third Version Of Events

I came upon yet another article, click here, with yet ANOTHER version of events about what happened in regard to the guy fetching the medicine. In that version of events, he said the medicine belonged to his daughter, and she needed it or she'd die in three hours.

The towing company turned him away. And that's when he came back shooting.

So there are three possibilities, here:

1.) It was true. 2.) It wasn't true, but he believed it was. 3.) He didn't think it was true, and it wasn't true, but he said it anyway...perhaps because he was just really, incredibly desperate to get what was in the vehicle.

No matter what was the truth...there was no reason to turn the guy away. And, yeah, he was a psycho. All the more reason to treat him with kindness and respect. This state should consider something like the "Let People Get Their Stuff Back Law."

Anatomy Of A Portland Towing Empire Of Greed

2008-10-22T17:08:00.004-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

In the state of Oregon, Sean Cruz continues to lead the fight against predatory towing, not just by digging up facts himself but by providing a forum for those with inside information to come forward and spill the beans.

Click here to read all the dirty details about how Mr. Gary Coe has created an empire of automotive misery, owning a grubby stake everywhere in the "towing to auto auction life cycle." Airing information like this...

...may allow individuals in other parts of the country to begin to perceive patterns in their own neck of the woods.

Great work, once again, by "Blogolitical Sean."

Texas State Fair Creates Opportunity For Abusive Towing

2008-10-18T22:35:00.006-05:00

Flickr.com

According to this article, city officials in Dallas are investigating allegations that citizens were overcharged after their cars were snatched from spots near the Texas State Fair, whose symbol is "Big Tex," above. The drivers thought...

...they were parking in legal spots, but got towed by Lone Star Auto Services whose representative, Anna Casey, says the company "did nothing wrong" even though, gee, they charged $200 and there are limits to what can be charged.

Hint, hint: It ain't $200.

"Cyber Activists" Rip Into Lone Star Auto Services

Some "cyber activists" have already submitted scathing reviews about Lone Star Auto Services on the internet, submitting some interesting details and allegations. And, I hasten to add, these are ALLEGATIONS. But according to Darryle Smitth (sic) it was Lone Star ITSELF which offered the paid parking lots to fair goers "near the Cotton Bowl." After the lots were full and people were gone to the fair, Lone Star posted "no parking signs," towed the cars, and charged $200 for folks to get the cars back.

Boycott Suggested Of Flying J In Dallas

Another poster, t3ucking (sic) said trucks were unfairly towed by Lone Star from the Flying J truck stop in Dallas, including a tow which cost $1253 for 14 miles. The poster urges the public not to patronize the Flying J truck stop in Dallas because the business is ultimately responsible for calling in predatory towing companies.

I will say this: the last time I was at a Flying J, while doing some commercial driving--and I do--I was treated badly. They told me I could cash one of my employer's checks, then changed their mind, which caused me to have to void the check when I was critically low on company checks as well as--oh, gee--diesel.

I may still patronize a Flying J in the future, if I must, but if I have a choice in the matter I will honor the spontaneous internet boycott and not choose Flying J, out of solidarity with the people (allegedly) victimized by Lone Star Auto Services.

Did A Crooked Cop Embezzle Towing Money In La Puente, California?

2008-10-18T21:49:00.006-05:00

Flickr.com, La Puente, California

The easy, dirty, messy piles of money associated with poorly-regulated and predatory towing practices inevitably finds its way to somebody's pocket, but not always legally. Does all the wrongdoing come to light, eventually? I somehow doubt it, but in La Puente, California, it appears...

...the secrets have been exposed, and while there is not yet a conviction, there are allegations aplenty. In La Puente.

According to this article, click here, former traffic Sgt. Joe Dyer is accused of stealing nearly half a million dollars. Here's what I want to know: WHAT DID HE DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY? I mean, how shall I put it? THAT'S A LOT OF DOUGHNUTS!

The way it all shakes out: Dyer retired. His supervisor has been "reassigned" but supposedly that had "nothing to do with the investigation." (Oh, pleas!) The police union official--seemingly going through the motions of doing his job rather listlessly--says "We're not accountants, we're not money men" and blames the mess on Dyer's superiors who didn't TRAIN HIM to keep track of all that money.

Oh, like half a million bucks never existed, and just disappeared through--what? Bad bookkeeping? Into one of the many hypothetical "worm holes" of the universe? Or would those be...doughnut holes?

The money, according to the article, came from a $168 administrative fee which the city is supposed to receive every time a car is impounded. Drivers pay the fee at the sheriff's station and get a receipt, which drivers need to get their car...at the place where they pay MORE money. To get their car. Yeah, it all adds up to PUH-LENTY of money.

In La Puente.

But not all the money ended up where it was supposed to. Some records didn't match, and City Manager Carol Cowley was apparently the first person to notice. Now the very public allegation is that a big bite of cheese was ending up in NEWLY RETIRED Police Sergeant Joe Dyer's pocket.

What a mess. But it's hardly unique, and some similar stories of corruption associated with towing fees are right here on this blog.

This is what happens when low-tech methods are used, and information about tows is tightly contained and not made freely available on the internet to all jurisdictions and all people seeking out their vehicles, really THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.

There's a big pile of dirty, dishonest cheese that piles up, and somebody in charge of that cheese is going to cut themselves off a little taste.

Fighting Predatory Towing Creates A Legal Mess In McHenry County, Illinois

2008-10-18T21:15:00.009-05:00

Flickr.com, McHenry County, Illinois

It started out as a good idea and, who knows, maybe it actually IS a good idea and the reporter is just talking to the wrong people. Who knows?

But one thing is for sure: there's some kind of legal mess in McHenry County Illinois, according to this article, (click here) and predatory towing in COOK County, Illinois is at the icky root of it.

According to...

...the article, some kind of legal "solution" in regard to predatory towing was "imposed" on Cook County, which continues to be one of the most politically interesting places in the country. Click here for a cool story on my OTHER blog about how the sheriff in that Cook County has been refusing to evict renters from foreclosed homes. Other counties, like McHenry, had the choice to "opt in" to the so-called "solution." And some, like McHenry County, did.

But after the counties opted in, they discovered the commission in charge of...how to put it? The deal. Yeah, the commission in charge of THE DEAL was unexpectedly asserting authority over other kinds of towing--including some CONSENSUAL forms of towing. And McHenry County doesn't like that. Now McHenry County wants OUT.

Who do I blame? The commission for overreaching? McHenry County for being too picky? Cook County for creating the mess in the first place?

No. I blame the predatory towing companies who caused this mess in the first place, a mess which apparently led to a messy, not-entirely-satisfactory solution, which the counties are now bickering about.

Oh, the photo? Yeah, I found it on Flickr.com and it was taken in McHenry County, Illinois. Congrats, anonymous drunk wheelbarrow dude. You are now the face of McHenry County, Illinois.

Newark, Delaware Curbs Predatory Towing

2008-10-18T20:32:00.006-05:00

Flickr.com, Newark, Delaware

According to a relatively recent article in the Newark Post, click here, some towing "horror stories" contributed to a city effort to crack down on predatory towing...

Newark is just the latest example of "predatory and abusive towing consciousness" busting out all over, with government entities and ordinary citizens asserting their right to be free from these civil rights violations. This is my first post about a situation in Delaware, and it's a great way to put that state on the "Towing Utopia" map, even if Newark is usually a place name we associate with...New Jersey. I guess there's one in Ohio, too.

Well, here's what's new in Newark, (Delaware) and maybe other cities might use some of this stuff as a model for their own ordinances:

1.) All towing companies have to be licensed by the city. Yeah, no more prowling the streets with your 1970s muscle car and a filthy tow strap, calling yourself a wrecker-for-hire. Goodbye good ol' days.

2.) Limits on non-consensual towing charges.

3.) No storage fee for the first 24 hours, on federal holidays, or on days when the tow company's storage lot is closed.

4.) Individual towing requests must be faxed during business hours.

5.) One hour grace period before vehicles can be towed from private property during non-business hours.

6.) Be still my foolish heart! A DROP RULE. Vehicle owners who catch their car being towed can reclaim their vehicle on the spot and pay a lesser tow charge. Yeah, better demand a receipt or that stuff will go in the driver's pocket.

7.) Failure to adhere to the rules could cost towing companies AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HIRE 'EM a $500 fine. Gee, I hope that's per violation.

City Councilman Paul J. Pomeroy said it was time to "bring down the hammer" due to the horror stories told by residents. So take courage, citizens of Towing Utopia! Tell your horror stories and hope for "the hammer" to result, though it may take a while.

Unfortunately, some good proposed rules fell by the wayside, including property owners being on site for all tows and a requirement to photograph the parking violation. But it sounds like excellent progress in Newark. I sure hope the rules get ENFORCED, however. The passage of the rules is only a first step. Predatory and abusive towing companies will violate the rules wholesale if nobody is minding the store.

Predatory Towing Is "A Great Way To Kill Local Business And Send A 'You Are Not Welcome Here' Message In Falls Church, Virginia"

2008-09-30T23:14:00.006-05:00

A blog called "Blueweeds" is operated by none other than the husband of the mayor of Falls Church, Virginia. Somehow their marriage succeeds even while he puts forth very substantive commentary on civic issues in Falls Church, including a gutsy assessment of predatory towing which includes--be still, my foolish heart!--VIDEO, BABY!!!!!

On Memorial Day, 2008, while city visitors were...

...doing stuff like putting flowers on the graves of soldiers, or so I would freely assume, predatory tow trucks were doing their best to mess up this sacred American holiday. But the predators didn't manage to be unnoticed. Somebody had a video camera and now the whole world can watch.

Following the posting of the video on YouTube, and on Blueweeds, a lot of substantive and detailed civic commentary came out of the woodwork. Here is the thumbnail summary:

* Whether the city of Falls Church benefits from this activity is doubted, "since the tow trucks are operated out of Fairfax County." The businesses at the shopping center pictured in the video lose clients despite popular stores and restaurants.

* "Who thought up this barbaric practice? Too many of us have been victims of this and the fees to get your car out of impound are no different than paying ransom for a car held hostage. Recently, I was in the Giant Food store next to GMHS, and a woman with three small kids was desperately trying to find out where her car had been taken.

"She seemed so distraught, I felt compelled to help her as any decent person would. She explained that she had been shopping at the Giant Food and her car would not start when she returned. Her in-laws came to pick her up as she had a lot of perishable foods and didn't want them spoiled waiting for a tow truck to take it for repair. The next day they returned with a 'Triple A' tow truck to take the car to a repair shop and her car was gone.

" One of the managers said the strip mall management company had a sign stating cars left over a certain period of time would be towed as it is assumed they are parking there to use the West Falls Church Metro. She had to pay to get her car out of impound so she could have it towed for repair! IS THIS HOW WE TREAT CITIZENS AND GUESTS OF FALLS CHURCH? I have lived here all my life and this is not the same lovely community I grew up in and USED TO cherish until it became so commercialized!"

* "My own recent fav(orite) tow truck story came on the Fourth of July in Arlington. (Virginia) There's a parking lot on Wilson where you've got a straight view of the Mall, perfect for fireworks watching. During that time, at least three cars were towed from the lot. This only ended when one person blocked off one of the lot entrances with her car, and we kept watching the other, going back to our cars when another tow truck came around.

"The best part? The lot is for the long-closed Taco Bell. No one uses it for anything."

* Towing is regulated by the state and there is only so much the city of Falls Church can do, despite having a Towing Commission and a recently-updated towing ordinance.

* Blame was placed on "stand alone" parking and inefficient use of parking resources by businesses with their own lots, who don't make agreements to share.

San Marcos, Texas Aims For Reform Of Predatory Towing...Or Do They?

2008-09-29T00:33:00.009-05:00

Flickr.com photo

Some months back, I blogged about the situation in San Marcos, Texas, where predatory towing was giving the town a "black mark" in the public eye...

I recently tried to follow up and see what San Marcos had done about its predatory towing. The answer: probably made it worse while supposedly making it better.

First of all, on September 5...after sitting on this issue through most of the summer, it appears...San Marcos "revised" the towing fees. Yeah, they "revised" the fees all right: UPWARD.

Current word, according to this article, is San Marcos will address the abusive towing practices at a "future meeting." Reform--such as NOT TOWING PEOPLE'S CARS ALL THE WAY TO AUSTIN, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD--seems pretty doubtful.

For now, it is probably advisable to avoid this city, which has such tourist destinations as the popular San Marcos Outlet Mall, pictured above.

Portland Towing Scam Abuses The Handicapped--Sean Cruz Exposes It!

2008-09-28T23:49:00.010-05:00

Flickr.com photo

I only recently found out about Sean Cruz and all his work in Oregon, which I blogged about in this post. Well, it turns out a predatory towing issue Sean was banging the drum about recently made some media march to battle to expose a shocking abuse of handicapped citizens happening in Portland. Here is the article..

...which shows every sign of being a result of Sean's handiwork from his original blog post about the outrageous scam, click here.

The long and the short of the scam went like this: There was a restaurant named McCall's, and it was no longer in business. But the restaurant's parking lot had some handicapped spaces, and a guy named Mike Meier, a paraplegic, parked there with his handicapped permit properly displayed. And he got towed...for not having a "special McCall's permit," or so he was told.

It turns out the towing company, Sergeants Towing, had been hauling vehicles away from that spot for half a year without any legal authority to do so.

Yes, Sergeants Towing once had a contract to patrol that particular parking lot...Oregon being the only one of the three West Coast states which even ALLOWS "patrol towing"...but the contract was no longer valid. The business which had contracted with the towing company wasn't even in that building anymore.

Think Of It As "Mineral Rights" To The Steel In Your Car

Tim Barrett, who focuses on predatory towing in the State of Oregon and has worked closely with Sean Cruz, says unscrupulous towing companies who are engaged in "patrol towing" look upon these contracts as "mineral rights." Even if the business which granted the "right" to patrol the lot ceases to exist, predatory towing companies see the lots as their "turf" and continue to tow cars...even when the lot is virtually empty! And, as it turns out, even towing from the handicapped spots.

Well, now Sergeants will have to pay back all that money. And it all happened because a paraplegic man STOOD UP FOR HIS RIGHTS and wouldn't let go of the issue for FIVE MONTHS. His hunch said something was wrong, and he wouldn't let go of that hunch.

Mike Meier, you the man.

The Amazing "Montreal Model" Of Non-Consent Towing

2008-09-28T23:35:00.003-05:00

Montreal does something incredibly unique when it comes to towing cars in the winter: they tow the car to get it out of the way, then they BRING IT BACK!

There are still many flaws in their system, for example...

...the YouTube member who submitted this video was complaining about how vehicles were towed without first being given "advisories," then were dumped in spots quite different from where they were originally parked. Furthermore, the vehicles were then given tickets for being parked in those spots.

But if you live in a city like St. Paul, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, you'd have to be thinking WHAT ARE THOSE CANADIANS COMPLAINING ABOUT? Their municipal governments move the cars so they can, in effect, sweep under them? Then they give the cars BACK? The fines and inconvenience are relatively MINOR compared to a trip to the impound lot?

The Montreal model shows how many of our assumptions about how things "have to be" are inaccurate. Canada is incredibly concerned about human rights, and that concern even shows up in how they tow vehicles. Or how they DON'T tow vehicles; at least not all the way to the impound lot.

Wouldn't electronic notification work a world of good, here? The people sleeping in those nearby buildings would receive an email (it might come to their Blackberry device) as well as a call on their cell phone, or a text message. The message would tell them to MOVE THEIR CAR or it will get moved for them.

Even in Canada--which has quite an interesting model--there is room for improvement, and for more innovative use of technology to make towing less predatory, less abusive, less random and inconvenient and bureaucratic. Oh, need I mention: less of a violation of human rights.

And Speaking Of Better Technology

Oh, yeah, this is indeed my first video embed on this blog. I picked up a few tricks on my other blog, while covering the RNC 2008 protests, and I'm applying that knowledge here. I'd really like to shoot some video of the "tricked and trapped on Washington Ave. SE" phenomenon, and present it here at some point down the road.

Heh, heh. "Down the road." Punny. I slay myself.

Cell Phone Video Cameras Document Predatory Towing

2008-09-26T23:52:00.004-05:00

So here's a cool video which turned up in the blog-o-sphere, click here. This guy...

...turned on his cell phone video camera and started documenting what was happening with cars getting towed...including one which was, um, all-too-familiar.

I hear stories all the time about the outrageous and predatory towing. Citizens, reach for your cell phone and put it on the internet. Dump it on YouTube. Send out links.

If it's caught on video, they can't say it didn't happen.

A "Towing Ordeal" In Oregon Blogged About By "Sophie"

2008-09-21T21:01:00.006-05:00

Photo From Sophie's Blog

"Sophie" sounds like a very nice woman, and we share a common interest of "re-purposing" cast off treasures. Who would be mean to somebody like Sophie? A nasty towing company called "Beaverton Towing," that's who...

In between discussions about antiques and her ordinary life, Sophie's blog tells a sordid, bloody tale about "the parking lot of doom" and her spontaneous crusade to get justice after a case of predatory towing. Click to the left for one of the most vivid entries, then use the search term "towing" on Sophie's blog to find all the ugly details.

Sophie's (layperson) attempt at legal research produced a classic bureaucratic runaround, and a discovery that a supposed "federal law" to protect citizens from predatory towing doesn't do much of anything...except allegedly empower states to do something. If they want. When they get around to it. Yawn. Nappy time.

On the one hand, the digging which went into my last handful of posts tell me Oregon is a predatory towing theme park. But on the other hand, I've discovered there are activists and journalists vigorously exposing these issues in Oregon...is it possible Oregon is no better and no worse than a lot of other places, but some folks in Oregon are awake and aware? I hope that's actually the case.

A New Towing Company Trick In Portland, Oregon

2008-09-21T20:38:00.004-05:00

Photo By John Hoff

Just when I thought I'd heard every low-down, dodgy artifice (some) (unsavory) towing companies use, something surprising comes out of Portland. There, a towing company was playing "musical piece of (expletive) cars" on the public streets...

It can all be found in this article from The Mercury--a wonderful publication, though eerily similar to Seattle Weekly and The Stranger. (I suspect there are some strong ties between these publications, old faves from my Seattle days in the 1990s)

But back to Portland: there, a towing company slash salvage-yard-starter-kit basically turned public streets into its own private storage area for junkers. Nice. Portland, Oregon is beginning to sounds like a theme park of predatory and abusive towing issues.

As for the picture...it's a car my brother was hauling off for scrap. My son and his little cousins thought it would be fun to set off smoke bombs on the vehicle and make it look like it was burning up just as my brother walked out of the house.

The Face Of Predatory Towing Abuse Activism In Oregon--Sean Cruz

2008-09-21T16:45:00.009-05:00

Image From The Blog Of Sean Cruz

I learned of Sean Cruz from an article in the Portland Mercury, which discussed how a towing company mistakenly and REPEATEDLY towed his legally parked vehicle. Most people would be forced to passively endure, or perhaps complain to a public official, but Sean Cruz...

...was the Chief of Staff for State Senator Avel Gordly, Democrat, Northeast Portland. So LEGISLATION came out of what might otherwise be nothing but a private and infuriating burden to bear.

Now, besides many of the other issues dear to him, such as the rights of Latino workers, Cruz blogs quite a bit about the predatory towing issues in which he is entangled, such as this recent post entitled "Urgent Portland Predatory Towing Alert! Sergeant's Towing running tow scam on public property!"

As I try to stitch together a blog to cover predatory towing issues on a NATIONAL scale, it is amazing to discover these highly developed pockets of resistance in places like Carrboro, North Carolina or a longtime crusader like Sean Cruz. Predatory towing is real, but so is spirited resistance to predatory towing practices.

"Hero Lessons" In Portland, Oregon

2008-09-21T15:55:00.011-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

According to an oldie-but-goody article in the Portland Mercury, becoming a hero is easy. Just take on the predatory practices of the towing companies like Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard did...

Here is the article (click here) and I'd have to say the advice is very sound. From Orlando, Florida to West Lafayette, Indiana, to the nearly-revolutionary situation in Carrboro, North Carolina, all discussed on this blog, the same pattern emerges: politicians who take on "big fat meanie" towing entities end up smelling like a rose in terms of public opinion. The fact the cause is just and the politician will be on the side of the angels is just gravy to pour on top of the public opinion polls.

So why don't MORE politicians try this tactic? Well, if I keep getting the word out through this blog...maybe more politicians might! And by the way...Randy Leonard is still a commissioner, which is further proof of how well the tactic pays off.

(And yes, I have been spending a lot of quality time with the Portland Mercury in these last few blog posts. We're very happy together, thanks.) Here is another great article from that publication about how Portland's commissioners decided to cap towing fees.

P.S. The image is Portland Oregon's "Copper Lady," second largest copper statue in the world; the first being the Statue of Liberty.

Take My Liberty...But Leave Me My Car In Portland, Oregon

2008-09-21T14:58:00.010-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

The content of this blog rests beneath a kind of thesis, visible on what might be called the "masthead" of this website: in modern America, it is often preferable to lose a day or two of freedom than to lose your vehicle.

A sad story from Portland, Oregon drives this point home...

Contia Orsby, 58, was living in her vehicle after a series of hardships that were NOT her moral fault, including being injured while working in a nursing home. (She attempted to keep a man in his 90s from falling, a common enough way to get injured while working this kind of job) Orsby ended up living in her car, and made the mistake of using a pair of brass knuckles as a "key ring."

To me, that makes sense if you're a 58-year-old woman desperately living in your vehicle and waiting for the Social Security Administration to decide, yup, you really do have slipped discs in your back, just like all the doctors say. Police doing a so-called "welfare check" called the brass knuckles a "concealed weapon." But (and here is the key sentence in the whole story) "instead of taking her to jail, they towed her car."

Why? Because towing a car is usually a much more draconian punishment than a night in jail (like I've been saying since Day One, Blog Entry One) but Americans lack the legal and constitutional protections for their VEHICLE which they have for their HOUSE or their PERSON.

As a result of this tow in lieu of arrest, Orsby spent six weeks sleeping outside. Good thing Oregon is much more temperate than Minnesota. Only through the intervention of a church did she manage to get her vehicle slash home back...with some serious delay caused by the authorities losing her keys, then wanting Orsby to pay to have the piece-of-junk 1988 rekeyed.

(No offense to Orsby...my 1988 was a piece of junk, and I just recently rid myself of it, click here)

The previous blog post just put Oregon on the towing utopia map, but now I see the state has been making up for lost time. Thanks, once again, to The Mercury for this informative piece about Orsby's ordeal. (Click here)

P.S. Yes, the Flickr.com illustration was indeed taken in Portland, Oregon.

Predatory Tow Trucks Have Been Too Busy In Beaverton, Oregon

2008-09-21T14:27:00.008-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

Once again, the blog-o-sphere is coming through with detailed documentation of predatory towing, this time at a strip mall in Beaverton, Oregon...

According to a blog called "The Mercury," (click here) there is a tricky situation where the lot appears to be "common parking" for a bunch of neighboring businesses, but tow trucks are making distinctions about where vehicles park versus which particular businesses are patronized...plus it's a "tow at will" situation rather than based on individual complaints.

And speaking of complaints...I have a minor one about this otherwise informative blog entry. The blog doesn't name the business in question, opting instead to censor the business name like an expletive with a row of asterisks. (****)

I say NAME THE NAMES of businesses which engage in predatory towing, like I've done in previous blog entries, like this one.

But otherwise I'm pretty happy, because Retriever Towing in "Busy Beaverton" just put Oregon on the predatory towing map.

P.S. I know what you're thinking: Why does this beaver have red teeth? Well, I hope I've made it clear there is something PREDATORY happening, here, and this creepy beaver image from Flickr.com reflects as much.

New Jersey Law Fights Predatory Towing

2008-09-21T13:11:00.007-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

Thanks to the website of a New Jersey law firm, I just learned of a relatively new statute which fights predatory towing. In fact, it's actually...

..named the "Predatory Towing Act."

This is very exciting, because it means I have to expend slightly less effort just to convince people there is indeed a recognizable and common phenomenon called "predatory (and abusive) towing." New Jersey seems to get it, and this is a fine way to put New Jersey on the Towing Utopia map with my first posting about that state.

The blog post from the law firm does point out (what they consider to be) some flaws with the law, in particular some signage requirements which might be "onerous." Well, considering some of the unreadable, neglected signage I've seen which SUPPOSEDLY warns people about towing, like this example in St. Paul (click here) I think "onerous" signage is a small price to pay for some progress against predatory towing.

What I find interesting and kind of cool is the fact this law apparently grew out of a small but intense "parking war." It's amazing how something minor can escalate like that...probably fueled by lethal combination of bad temper and greed.

The Predatory Towing Plot Thickens In Springfield, Massachusetts

2008-09-21T11:55:00.008-05:00

Flickr.com Photo

Springfield, Massachusetts continues to be embroiled in an epic towing scandal, the already-hot pot only heated further and stirred by the release of an auditor's report listing...

...in detail the various violations of the "Towing Alliance" which has control of the city government's towing contract. For now.

A local blog called "The Intruder" has been providing all the details--and I mean, ALL THE DOWN AND DIRTY DETAILS--not just summarizing and throwing out a headline in the manner of more mainstream media but really digging deep and getting to the "bloggy bottom" of things.

Click here for the latest from "The Intruder."

Also, it appears the towing issues have forced at least one STATE representative to weigh in on the issue, and details are once again in "The Intruder." Click here.

Given the fact The Intruder is so on top of things, this frees up Towing Utopia to concentrate on predatory and abusive towing scandals in other cities. I've communicated briefly with the guy who runs "The Intruder" and let him know my view: Springfield, Massachusetts is part of a greater national pattern, and many of these problems can be solved through better application of available technology.

(The photo is from a statue in Springfield, Massachusetts. The old folk saying is "a watched pot never boils" but people ARE watching and Springfield IS boiling)

In St. Paul 21 Minutes Turns Into TWO DAYS At The Impound Lot

2008-09-15T22:50:00.004-05:00

Photo By John Hoff, September 1, 2008, St. Paul, Minnesota

This story comes from a friend of mine who works for the Hawthorne Neighborhood Association, Jeff Skrenes, who thankfully now lives (once again) in Minneapolis instead of St. Paul. The picture above just shows, well, St. Paul and its touching concern for the rights of citizens.

Jeff writes as follows...

Several years ago (2001, I think, but maybe 2002) we had ourselves a mighty snowstorm. I had just moved in with my now ex-wife and wasn't entirely familiar with the parking rules in St. Paul versus Minneapolis. I thoguht I had parked on the right side of the street.

Well, we look out the window and what do we see? A tow truck hooking up to my car. I ran outside immediately, with no shoes or boots on, to try to get the tow truck driver to let my car down so I could park it appropriately. he refused, despite the fact there were at least six other vehicles right there he could have picked up after letting mine down.

His reasoning was that once he hooks a vehicle up, it's his legal obligation to bring it in, especially after doing initial paperwork and notifying others about the pickup. But he would be able to let it down for a $50 fee which--not surprisingly--would have to be in cash, not a check or a credit card.

he could go on about his legal obligation, but was clearly willing to let that go for a few extra bucks. We didn't have cash on us, and it was late enough that the stores nearby with ATMs were closed. If I'd had anything more than socks on my feet, I would have stood in front of the truck until either he let my car go or the police came. but even with my high tolerance for cold (readers note: Jeff is from the "UP" of Michigan) I couldn't stay out there that long.

We followed the truck directly to the impound lot and proceeded to wait in line behind plenty of other p***ed off folks, mainly poor and minority families. By the time we filed out the necessary paperwork, the car had been in the lot for a grand total of 21 minutes: 11:43 p.m. to 12:04 a.m. Since it had passed midnight, I was charged for having the car on the lot FOR TWO DAYS!!!!

Yup, $147 towing fee, $25 for sixteen minutes and 59 seconds, and other $25 for the remaining four minutes and one second. This was twelve days before Christmas. Do the twelve days of Christmas begin on the 25th or the 13th? Because if it's the latter, then "on the first day of Christmas my city gave to me: frostbite and a towing fee."

In St. Paul, Minnesota, You Better Be REALLY Careful Where You Park, Mister

2008-09-06T20:34:00.003-05:00

Photo by John Hoff, September 4, 2008

I took this picture at the State Capitol while documenting the various protests during RNC 2008. And it just goes to show you some parking warnings you should take very, very seriously.

(Do not click "Read More")

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Who Makes Sure The "You Will Be Towed" Signs Are Even Readable?

2008-08-31T22:43:00.003-05:00

Photo by John Hoff

I spent hours biking around St. Paul today, checking out the routes protests will take during RNC 2008, so I can record and report upon the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle with some degree of insight about the terrain. But along the way I noticed...

...this sign at the "Midway Center" strip mall, and I had to wonder: Who in city government makes sure cars are towed fairly vis-a-vis whether the parking lot warning signs are even READABLE? You can look at this piece of junk above and figure out the answer for St. Paul, Minnesota.

Nobody.

RNC 2008 Convention and Protests: Fear of Being Towed Halts History Right In Its Tracks

2008-08-31T14:51:00.004-05:00

Photo by John Hoff

This week I am mostly blogging at www.johnnynorthside.com about the spectacle and excitement surrounding RNC 2008 here in the Twin Cities, but predatory and abusive towing inevitably intrudes its ugly, oily head...

At this moment--literally as I type these words, a crowd of 175 to 200 is in the midst of "marshal training" to try to keep peace at the massive political demonstrations expected tomorrow near XCel Center and the Minnesota State Capitol during RNC 2008. During introductions, one of the participants apologized. He had to leave. He was worried his car would get towed.

"It's Sunday!" some in the crowd said. But a lot of them were simply unfamiliar with the situation on the "West Bank" area of Minneapolis.

"No, you gotta pay every day on the West Bank," somebody clarified.

"The people on the West Bank are politically powerless," I piped up. "And they aren't able to get free Sunday parking like most of the rest of Minneapolis."

So while the other participants learned interesting "de-escalation" tactics to keep the protests from getting out of hand (or, from another perspective, from actually having a meaningful impact) this poor guy had to slink away from the room and deal with his vehicle, even as friends and comrades in the room offered coins, if that would help.

Predatory and abusive towing messes up everything. History should be rolling along, but it isn't, because its wheels are being booted, or pulled up a flatbed tow truck and hauled off to some stinky impound lot to be held hostage for some ridiculous amount of money.

I bet the CONVENTION DELEGATES aren't worried about where they will park, though. They are safe in the parking garages of the posh hotels or riding taxis, because most of them flew here. But the situation was reversed a week ago in Denver. This isn't about blue or red, or green, for that matter. It isn't about democrat, republican, green, or libertarian.

It's about treating people fairly versus treating them badly. And Minneapolis treats people very badly when it comes to towing.

FBI Seeks St. Louis Towing Information

2008-08-29T23:34:00.005-05:00

Flickr.com photo

Media in St. Louis recently carried a public service announcement (PSA) on behalf of the FBI, which I feel pretty comfortable reproducing verbatim...

...or, well, pretty close to verbatim. Adding a picture of former Police Chief Joe Mokwa was my own little touch.

According to the PSA, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service (!!!) are seeking public assistance to identify people who had their vehicles towed or held by St. Louis Metropolitan Towing, S & H Parking, or Parks Auto Sales. (Of St. Louis)

IF YOUR VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, the FBI and the IRS would like you to log onto the St. Louis FBI Web site at www.stlouis.fbi.gov to complete a brief survey under the heading "Towing Survey."

If you prefer, you may also call a tip line at 1-800-225-5324.

Here is my little comment: there are a number of ugly towing scandals all over the nation including. So why isn't the FBI and IRS getting into those scandals, as well? Is it only the possibility of police corruption which draws these much-needed federal resources to get to the bottom of an ugly towing scandal?