NEW JERSEY -- The Atlantic City Expressway's operating agency on Tuesday held off awarding two contracts for towing services on the toll road, angering the low bidder and raising the possibility of more legal action in a long-running controversy.

Tri-State Towing of Egg Harbor City was expected to win approval for the towing business on the expressway's eastern and central sections, but the South Jersey Transportation Authority tabled the contracts.

The authority's board members discussed the matter in closed session for about 20 minutes. Emerging from behind closed doors, they said they needed more time to review the towing regulations before taking action on the contracts.

"We have questions about the way the specifications are written. If there is only one towing operator, can the motoring public really be served?" authority Chairman Frank Spencer said.

Tri-State would dominate the towing services for most of the road if it is awarded exclusive rights for the eastern and central sectors.

Keith Bartley, owner of Tri-State, was angered by the transportation authority's delay and said he would not give up the contracts without a fight.

Tri-State surprised everyone last month by outbidding its competitors for the eastern and central sectors. In the process, it beat out two towing operators that held those contracts for nearly 40 years.

Bartley showed up at the authority's board meeting Tuesday thinking he would be awarded the contracts.

He said his competitors were angry that they had lost the business and were pressuring the authority and other state agencies to block him from getting the contracts.

Nick Perone, owner of Lakeview Garage of Hammonton, denied that his company had lobbied against Tri-State. Lakeview, the longtime towing contractor for the expressway's central sector, lost the business to another company last April and came up short again when the contract was rebid last month.

"I have not done anything," Perone said, disputing Bartley's allegations. "I'm just going to sit back and watch."

James Guenther, owner of Guenther's Mobil Service of Pleasantville, has been the towing operator for the eastern end since the expressway opened in 1964. He will continue in that capacity on an interim basis until the transportation authority decides whether to award Tri-State a new contract.

"I was surprised. I really thought they were going to give it to Tri-State," Guenther said.

Towing contracts can be lucrative, generating in excess of $100,000 in annual revenue in some cases.

The expressway divides its towing contracts into three sectors - eastern, central and western - each about 15 miles long.

The towing contracts have been a source of controversy for at least five years. Towing operators have filed lawsuits, accused each other of unscrupulous practices and fought with the transportation authority.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

NORTH CAROLINA -- The city of Raleigh is considering a new proposal aimed at curbing what they call "predatory towing practices".

The proposed ordinance would make it a crime to tow a car that is legally parked.

Mayor of Raleigh, Charles Meeker, justified the law by claiming that impounding the car of an older person would be more than inconvenient situation, it's would be a public safety situation.

Mayor Meeker also claims that state law requires every parking space to be marked with its own tow-away sign, but most lots violate this law by only have one sign posted at the entrance.

The proposed ordinance would make "predatory towing" a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine. The complete definition of "predatory towing" is unclear.

The Raleigh City Council is expected to take up the towing issue in mid-December.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

WASHINGTON -- A tow truck driver performing an impound for police was forced to drop the vehicle when the angry owner brandished a gun.

Alex O'Grady, a driver for Bill's Towing & Recovery in Yelm, was called by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office to the intersection of Barney Larson Road and Webster Road in Pierce County, to impound a Dodge pickup that had been parked partially blocking the road.

The sheriff's deputy gave the required impound paperwork to O'Grady and left the scene, leaving him alone to hook-up the vehicle.

According to police, the owner of the truck, Michael Henning of Kent, had been illegally hunting on private property in a no-hunting, no-shooting zone when he emerged from the woods with his rifle, four knives, and a pistol, to find his truck hooked to the tow truck.

Henning, who was cursing and threatening O'Grady, pulled a loaded pistol from it's holster and demanded that O'Grady drop his vehicle.

After attempting to explain to Henning that the sheriff had impounded his vehicle, O'Grady complied, and lowered the pickup truck to the ground where Henning drove the vehicle off of the wheel lift before O'Grady could completely unhook it.

O'Grady, and a witness who stopped at the scene, called police who stopped and arrested Henning minutes later on 352nd street near Eatonville.

It's unknown what charges were files against Henning who was booked into Pierce County Jail, but he was already free to pick-up his vehicle from Bill's Towing Later that evening.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

Diesel fuel prices fell more than 2 cents, to a national average price of $1.405 for the week ending Nov. 18.

Prices are now at their lowest point since Sept. 16, and represent a decline of 6.4 cents over the last five weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. DOE predicts that diesel prices will not likely fall much further and could increase dramatically if winter weather becomes severe.

“Distillate fuel inventories (including diesel) are expected to drop below the normal range this winter and remain low through 2003, so it is unlikely that prices will decrease significantly in the coming months,” department analysts said.

Diesel fuel stocks have fallen below normal levels for this time of year, and if a cold snap hits the United States, it will likely increase demand for diesel and heating oil. Demand for diesel in Europe, where consumers have embraced diesel-powered cars, may also hurt supply levels in the U.S.

For the week, tow operators on the West Coast paid more than $1.50 for their diesel, but saw declines of more than 1.5 cents. Prices in Gulf Coast and East Coast states fell the most. Fuel was cheapest along the Gulf Coast, where tow operators paid an average of $1.347 a gallon.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MARYLAND -- The Baltimore County Council voted last night to license and regulate tow truck drivers, but dropped provisions from earlier versions of the bill that would have required impound lots to be open around the clock and equipped with ATMs.

Tow truck operators at the meeting said the amendments to the bill, which passed 7-0, helped ease some of their objections but didn't alleviate their main fear - that the county could use the law to arbitrarily put them out of business.

"It poses a little less restriction, but under this, you're still under the control of the People's Republic of Baltimore County," said Frank Lanahan, who owns County Towing of Catonsville with his wife, Judy.

Council members insisted that they don't intend to put anyone out of business or restrict the rights of property owners to tow unauthorized vehicles, but said they have received dozens of complaints about practices of some towers.

The bill requires towers to make cars on impound lots available within 30 minutes of an owner's call and to accept travelers' checks. It drops a provision requiring they take credit cards and personal checks.

It also bars towing companies from lifting an occupied vehicle.

Thomas Showalter, president of Auto Barn, a Baltimore towing company, said the problem with the law is that it was drafted and will be enforced without input from the industry.

When the city passed similar laws a year ago, he said, it consulted with towers. Complaints there go before a tow board, which has representatives from the industry. (Andrew A. Green - SunSpot.net)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CALIFORNIA -- The owner of a Fontana-based towing company is scheduled to be arraigned today on a 20-count criminal complaint alleging insurance fraud, extortion and perjury, a prosecutor said Friday.

San Bernardino County prosecutors say Thomas McGraw, owner of Elite Towing Enterprises, extorted customers, lied on DMV documents and committed insurance fraud between 1996 and 2000. The company is one of a number of tow companies contracted by the Fontana Police Department.

The complaints came after an investigation of more than a year initiated by the San Bernardino Police Department and the Department of Motor Vehicles, San Bernardino Deputy District Attorney Glenn Yabuno said.

Representatives from Elite Towing could not be reached for comment.

Prosecutors have also charged six other men in two separate complaints in connection with the investigation, Yabuno said. It was not clear how theses other men are connected to the investigation.

The complaint against the towing company alleges that "on or about March 15, 2000' the company falsified the amount of the sale price of a vehicle on the DMV vehicle transfer form.

There are six additional counts of alleged DMV document falsification detailed in the complaint.

The complaint also alleges the company extorted "money or other property' from five different people, "by means of force and threat.'

All defendants are scheduled to be arraigned today.

Yabuno was unsure what prompted San Bernardino police to start their investigation into Elite Towing's practices or when the charges against them were filed.

But the towing company, which serves areas such as Blythe, Bakersfield as well as the Inland Valley and San Diego, had been under scrutiny for "over a year,' he said. "This has been an ongoing investigation for quite some time.'

The first count of the complaint against Elite Towing briefly describes the company's alleged involvement in an instance of insurance fraud "on or about February 7, 1996.'

The latest counts against the company are dated March 18, 2000.

Ron Owens a spokesman for the DMV in Sacramento, wouldn't comment on the investigation.

Since investigators didn't believe the defendants named in the complaint were a flight risk, they weren't arrested, Yabuno said. Instead they were ordered by mail to appear at their arraignment.

The detective from the San Bernardino Police Department who investigated the allegations against the tow company, could not be reached for comment Friday. (Jannise Johnson - Daily Bulletin)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CALIFORNIA -- Pomona City Council members gave preliminary approval this week to a proposed ordinance that would create, what the city calls, a franchise fee system for companies towing vehicles at the request of the Pomona Police.

Under the proposed ordinance towing companies doing business with the city must pay the city a $50 for every vehicle they tow at the city's request.

When most people think of a franchise, they think of a business that pays a fee to use a well advertised brand name, an exclusive sales area, group buying power, and any number of other benefits.

But the city's proposed "franchise fee" gives towing companies nothing but less profit. Hopefully Pomona towing companies can pull together to refuse the city's greedy proposal. 

Once the city has a monetary interest in impounding cars, it's believed that the number of impounded cars would greatly increase.

Tow companies would not be required to pay the fee on junk vehicles and on vehicles towed as a result of an accident which are released to the owner within 24 hours.

No fee would have to be paid on vehicles belonging to the victim of a crime or when a vehicle being towed belonged to a victim who died in an accident and the automobile is impounded as evidence, a staff report said.

A proposed ordinance that did not wave the fee in these three cases was presented to the City Council in May but it was opposed by tow truck companies. Some operators said the fees would affect their costs and force them to raise their customers rates.

Operators also said having to pay a fee on junk cars would hurt them owner of such cars rarely retrieve them.

Those cars sold but rarely produce enough to recover the tow companies' costs, operators said. (Thanks Kevin)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MARYLAND -- Baltimore County lawmakers pad their budget on the guise of curbing aggressive towing.

A new bill sponsored by County Councilmen John Olszewski, Bryan McIntire, and Vince Gardina, would require towing companies to pay $150 for a special license to perform trespass towing, and the costs don't stop there.

Besides the license fee, towing companies would be required to keep storage lots open 24 hours a day, install an ATM machine at the storage lot, maintain records for two years and make them available for inspection, and provide the persons, picking-up their illegally parked cars, information on how to complain.

The law also prohibits towing companies from towing impounded vehicles more than 10 miles from the impound location, and towing any vehicle with a minor, 18 years-old or younger, inside.

Basically, if you leave your teen in the car, you can park absolutely anywhere you like.

The law also mandates that if the vehicles owner is able to stop the tow truck, they are only charged half price.

Apparently the two councilmen believe it's "ok" to break the law and violate private property rights as long as it's for a short time, or you leave someone in the car while your doing it.

You see, the councilmen say their law is in response to resident complaints of cars being hooked-up after only 45 seconds of being parked illegally, and they claim some residents cars were lifted with passengers inside.

Many towing companies point out that, given the opportunity, every person who parks illegally and gets towed will complain whether they are right or, as in most cases, are dead wrong.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

INDIANA -- A plan that would negatively effect towing operators in the city of Crown Point has local towing companies upset.

Crown Point Police Chief, Pete Land, devised the proposal which would allow tow companies outside the city, but within five miles of the city to compete for the city's towing business.

Towing companies within city limits generally pay additional taxes to the city because of their location, and offer a more convenient location to pick-up cars.

Crown Point's Mayor, James Metros, has brainstormed, what he calls, a solution. However, his solution does nothing more than take more money from the city tow companies and give it to the city.

The mayors solution is to create a city owned impound lot and store all impounded vehicles there so the city could collect the storage fees that, according to him, account for much of the tow companies income.

City based auto body shops also expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal because it would take their business out of town as well.

Upon hearing the body shops reason for dissatisfaction, the mayor quipped "If that's what the body shops' concern is, maybe they should get in the towing business"

Some have accused Mayor Metros of trying to gain business for his friend and and one-time Crown Point police chief candidate Scott Jurgensen, who works for Cars Collision Centers, which has location within five miles of the city.

Whether the accusations are true or not, clearly the city is not taking the concerns of their own businesses  seriously.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

After several months of steady increases, the U.S. average price for a gallon of diesel has fallen for three weeks, declining 1.5 cents to $1.427 for the week ending Nov. 11.

That good news for tow operators, however, may not last. According to the Department of Energy, the price of diesel is expected to “remain at these levels or higher throughout the season” due to low inventories.

Still, the average price of a gallon is now 4.2 cents lower than its 2002 peak of $1.469. For the week, tow operators along the Gulf Coast saw drops of more than 2 pennies in the price, while tow operators on the West Coast and in New England paid the most for diesel. The U.S. average price is nearly 16 cents higher than the same period last year.

For diesel prices in your area, go to www.itow.org/fuel.htm.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MICHIGAN -- An Oxford woman, 18, was critically injured Monday after she pulled into the path of a large tow truck hauling a dump truck and a trailer.

Alicia Gonzales was on her way to a friend's home about 4 p.m. when she was struck at N. Irish and Vienna roads, police said.

She had stopped on N. Irish at the intersection and began to turn left on Vienna Road but apparently did not see the oncoming eastbound wrecker from E & L Service in Lapeer.

She was in critical condition at Hurley Medical Center this morning.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

TENNESSEE -- A Knoxville man got his car back Friday, more than two weeks after it was stolen. What's unusual, is HOW it was stolen from the Bearden Middle School parking lot.

The thieves called AAA to say they lost their car keys. One of them was a AAA member. A locksmith came out and made them a new key and they took off with the car.

The 1994 Toyota Tercel ended up in Roland, Oklahoma, 685 miles from Knoxville. Police in Roland arrested the thieves for stealing the car and drug use.

Zac Lewis, the car's owner, says the first thing he's going to do is trade the car in.

Lewis said, "I just don't feel safe in it anymore. The perpetrators live in Knoxville. They know what my car looks like and where I park it occasionally, which is at my wife's middle school and I just don't feel right in it anymore."

At Lewis's request, AAA paid to have the car cleaned out and returned to Lewis from Oklahoma. AAA says it's working to see to it this doesn't happen again.

"We're taking some steps now to look at situations to where it is more likely to be a theft problem," says Don Lindsey of AAA. "Late at night, strange, isolated parking lots. In that type of situation we're taking some procedures that are going to be a little more strict."

Lindsey says, at the same time, AAA has to be careful not to strand legitimate customers. (Mark Schnyder - WBIR.com)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CALIFORNIA -- A 30 year-old Fallbrook tow truck driver injured in a head-on collision Wednesday is improving, but his tow truck is a total loss.

John Winchester, who works for  Ron Neeley Towing in Fallbrook, was travaling eastbound on Resch Road when he was struck head-on by a teenage girl who crossed the center line in her 1998 Dodge pickup, a California Highway Patrol official said.

Winchester and his passenger, Mark Shaver, 41, also of Fallbrook, received moderate injuries and were treated and released from Fallbrook Hospital.

The driver of the pickup, 17 year-old Megan Corcoran, a senior in high school, underwent seven hours of surgery following the accident, and was moved from critical care to intensive care on Thursday, and is expected to be well enough to go home in two weeks. (Thanks Brian)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

ALASKA -- Juneau Assembly members on Wednesday nixed a motor vehicle registration tax to pay for ridding the city of junk cars, deciding instead to tackle the issue during budget discussions this spring.

Under a staff proposal, the city would have tacked a $13 annual fee onto the cost to register a car through the state Division of Motor Vehicles. The money would have paid for a pilot program that would dispose of 800 rundown vehicles a year.

Car owners are required to renew a car's registration every two years at a cost of $68. The city fee would have added $26 to the price.

Under the city program, junk cars would be stripped of hazardous waste and other parts at a private garage, taken to the landfill for crushing and storage, and barged south for recycling, said city Public Works Director Joe Buck.

The program would cost $316,000 a year, or $395 per car, he said. The price includes the city's cost to run the program and an 8 percent fee the state charges to collect the DMV tax for the city.

The Assembly's Finance Committee voted down the tax proposal Wednesday, opting instead to consider funding during budget deliberations this spring.

Assembly member Randy Wanamaker, who voted for the tax, said he wanted to see more enforcement as well. People who abandon vehicles need to be held accountable, he said.

"I see a willingness to solve the problem, it's how we do it," he said after the tax failed. "I can support doing it out of the general fund, but I'll have to take a critical look at things like the arts as a second priority to something like this."

Assembly member Jeannie Johnson said she favors a junk car disposal program, but doesn't support a motor vehicle tax to pay for it.

"I think we're going to need that tax at some time, but I'm not sure this is what we're going to need it for," she said.

Deputy Mayor Ken Koelsch, who voted against the tax, said it would add to the cost of doing business in Juneau.

"As a (car) dealership, I'd be concerned," he said.

Interim City Manager John MacKinnon said it often is impossible to track down an abandoned vehicle's owner, which makes enforcement difficult. It would take more than a year for a registration tax to take effect, which is why city staff brought up the issue now, he said.

Assembly members Jim Powell and Wanamaker voted for the registration tax. Merrill Sanford, Sally Smith, Dale Anderson, Koelsch and Johnson voted no. Stan Ridgeway and Marc Wheeler were not present for the vote.

A five week, city-sponsored Junk Car Roundup in spring 2001 picked up about 800 junk cars. Participants paid $50 to $150 a car and the city contributed about $112,000. The Juneau Police Department picks up 200 abandoned vehicles a year, according to the city.

People who want to get rid of a rundown vehicle can take it to Waste Management's landfill in Lemon Creek and pay $157, tax included. The car's gas tank, battery and fluids must be removed first, which may require a trip to a private garage. Towing also can add to the cost. (Joanna Markell - The Juneau Empire)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

MISSISSIPPI -- Two Jackson firefighters have been released on $5,000 bond. They were charged with posing as wrecker service employees, to get money from trucking companies for towing jobs that never occurred.

Jackson Police Department spokesman Robert Graham says 40-year-old fire captain Michael Graziosi and 32-year-old firefighter Allan Plotkin were arrested yesterday in Richland. They've been charged with felony false pretense.

The men were arrested at a petroleum trucking company off Interstate 20 in Richland.

Graziosi is a 17-year veteran of the fire department. Plotkin has been with the department six years.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CALIFORNIA -- A 41-year-old man, apprehended by two tow truck drivers for allegedly burglarizing a parked car in a storage yard at 1950 Walters Court in Fairfield Sunday, is expected to appear in court today.

Steve Smith, a transient, is charged with burglary, brandishing a knife and possession of burglary tools.

The two Road Runner tow truck drivers allegedly came upon Smith when they entered the closed yard to get a sweater from a car at 9 p.m., according to a Fairfield Police Department report. As they drove into the tow yard they saw Smith sitting inside one of the parked cars.

They immediately noticed the right side passenger window on the vehicle had been smashed out. They also saw property from the car set on the ground next to the car.

While one of the men called 911 to reported the car burglary, the other tried to detain Smith until police arrived. Smith allegedly tried to flee but the two drivers chased him. Smith began fighting with the two men and allegedly pulled out a knife, police said.

One of the men was able to grab a small led pipe from a tow truck and use it to knock the knife out of the Smith's hand and then knock him to the ground, police said. The two men held the Smith down until police arrived.

Smith was treated for head and leg injuries at NorthBay Medical Center and later transferred to Solano County jail. (Ana Facio Contreras - Daily Republic)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

SOUTH CAROLINA -- If the Mauldin Police Department calls a wrecker for your car, the price you pay for being hauled away is going up.

"It has been a couple of years since we've increased wrecker service rates," City Administrator Russell Treadway said.

"Basically, these are for wreckers that are on call for when there has been an accident or some other situation where we call them to respond."

The fee for towing between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. when an accident isn't involved has increased from $55 to $60, according to the new rate schedule. At night and on the weekends, the rate has increased from $80 to $85.

Towing charges between the hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. that stem from an accident have gone from $90 to $95, according to the schedule. At night and on weekends, the price has increased from $120 to $125.

If a vehicle must be stored, the first 24 hours are free, Treadway said. After that, the cost for inside storage under the new scale is $20 a day. The cost for outside storage is $15 a day.

Treadway said the local wrecker companies -- which take calls on a rotation basis -- had approached the city requesting the increase. (April E. Moorefield - Greenville News)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

KANSAS -- A Bluegrove tow truck driver was wounded in a drive-by shooting Tuesday afternoon when he stopped to visit friends in Wichita Falls.

Friends said Cliff Swinson, believed to be in his 50s, had just climbed out of his wrecker when he was apparently hit in his back by a blast from a shotgun at 4:54 p.m. in front of 1401 33rd St., witnesses said.

There is a suspect in the case and an alert was put out for a 39-year-old man in a blue and white Ford pickup, Sgt. Leland Wright said.

"He (Swinson) was waving to me," said Channing Wells, who was in the front yard of 1403, the address Swinson was coming to visit.

"I thought I was shot when I heard the sound. The first thing I looked at was the four-year-old (girl in the yard) to make sure she was all right 'cause that was my main concern," Wells said.

A blue and white Ford pickup sped away from the scene, witnesses said.

"There was a loud boom that sounded like a car backfired but louder," said Billy Taylor, a neighbor. "It went on Bluff (to 34th street) and went up there. It didn't stop at the stop sign."

Wells said the "daughter (of the suspect) was driving. He (the suspect) rolled down the passenger seat window and shot him."

The shot cut into the side of a red GMC Sierra truck that was parked next to the driveway where Swinson fell.

Swinson was taken to the 11th Street Campus of United Regional Health Care System where he underwent surgery. His condition was not available at press time.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

NEVADA -- About a dozen tow-truck operators and their representatives from Wells to Winnemucca met at the Nevada High Patrol's Elko office Tuesday to hear the troopers review agency regulations regarding towing equipment.

At issue is how NHP's regulations are enforced when it comes to operators wanting to be on a rotational list to tow disabled and wrecked vehicles that come under the agency's jurisdiction.

Being on the rotational list, which is voluntary on the part of the operator, can make up a significant portion of the tower's income because of the number of potential calls and the distance that often is required to get to an accident scene.

Some operators are upset with the way the NHP in the Elko area, which is the agency's eastern district, is enforcing standards written in 1995 and put into effect in March 1996. The standards set minimum limits for the towing capacity for light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The eastern district, in an effort to get the region to catch up to the rest of the state, began more strictly enforcing the standards last September.

Apparently, the district hadn't been holding all operators to the proper standards, allowing tow trucks to pass inspection for several years that in fact shouldn't have been deemed to be in compliance with the agency standards.

This led, some operators complained, to the investment of thousands of dollars in equipment based on what turned out to be the NHP's mistake. Other towers, meanwhile, complain that they spent the money to make sure their equipment was in compliance with agency regulations only to see their competitors get by with doing less.

There are at least eight tow-truck operations in the district: Lostra Brothers Towing and Roadrunner Towing out of Elko; Joe's Towing, Roadway and Skip's Towing in Wells; A-1 and Atlas in Battle Mountain. A-1 also serves Winnemucca as does Milne Tow and Transport, which works out of Sparks.

The troopers gave those operators not in compliance a year to upgrade their trucks to meet the agency's statewide standards.

That time is now up.

"We started to revamp the tow program last year when we realized there were a lot of problems," said Sgt. Carl Johnson. "We gave all companies a year to get their act together.

"We need to make a statement to follow the policy the way it is written."

But Roadrunner's Lester Raine, one of the most vocal critics of the NHP policy, says there's only three things he can't lift with his 30,000-pound underlift - a fully loaded cement truck, a large fire engine and a large cruising bus. The agency's standards now require a 32,000-pound underlift, he said.

Raine claims a 45,000-pound or larger underlift would be needed in those instances, so the new standard doesn't make any difference.

"Your policy isn't in line with the towing industry," told NHP officials.

Raine, who says about 30 percent of his business comes from responding to highway patrol calls, said the agency is putting many operators in a tough spot given the current shaky economic conditions. If they don't spend the dollars for an upgrade - a new heavy-duty truck meeting all the NHP standards would cost well more than $100,000 - they could be forced out of business if they're suspended from receiving highway patrol tows.

"You're going to destroy all these companies. . . . we live off the interstate," he said. "I'm asking you to work with the industry."

But Johnson, who was joined in the meeting by other NHP officials including Maj. Rick Bradley and by District 33 Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, said the agency had been "unreasonably reasonable" in attempting to work with tow operators.

"We've done a lot to enforce this policy and make it better. . . . If you don't want to follow these rules don't tow for us," he said, adding that the written policies had been available to all operators wanting to work for the highway patrol for the last six years.

That sentiment was expressed by some of the operators including Milne general manager Bob Money and John and Suzy Palacio of Lostra Brothers.

"I've had to comply with all the regulations," Money said. "I've had to do it for Reno all along. Everybody else (in the other state districts) is in compliance."

Carpenter, who asked for the meeting to hear out the dispute, asked the troopers to clearly state in written form what each operator must do to get into compliance and forward that information to him. The assemblyman also said he'd like to see how Nevada's standards stack up against neighboring states Idaho and Utah and for the highway patrol to work more closely with the industry when future regulations are written.

Carpenter also advised the operators to stay on top of agency policies that affect them.

"The day you can let things like this slide are over," he said. "You have to read regulations with a fine-tooth comb."

But, Johnson left no doubt about how is office would proceed.

"We're going forward," he said. "If you're not in compliance, (that piece of equipment) is going to be suspended from the rotation."

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

FLORIDA -- After much delay, the Arcadia City Council is set to give final approval to a resolution revising the maximum fees that tow-truck operators can charge for non-consensual towing services in the city.

The resolution to be considered at tomorrow night's council meeting says: that all vehicles towed from private property, removal and storage of wrecked or disabled vehicles from an accident scene or removed and stored in the event the owner or operator is incapacitated, or unavailable, leaves the procurement of wrecker service to the law enforcement officer at the scene, or otherwise does not consent to the removal of the vehicle will be subject to the revised fees.

Under the new regulations, the base rate for an accident tow is $250. A criminal tow is set at $150. A disablement is set at $65. A complete list of all the rates is included in the resolution.

Other items on the Tuesday agenda include a review of the City Charter's provisions for filling vacancies on the council. With City Councilman Ronny Allen's resignation set to take effect midnight Nov. 18, City Administrator Ed Strube is requesting a review of the city charter provisions. The City Charter provides for the city council to fill vacancies on the council created by resignations. Four requests for consideration by the council for Allen's soon-to-be- vacant seat have already been received from Tony Guidry, Pastor Lorenzo L. Dixon Sr., Paul Whitlock, and Stephen Rickenbrode.

There will also be consideration of a resolution adopting the DeSoto County Local Hazard Mitigation plan as the formal guide for the City of Arcadia's hazard mitigation activities relating to such hazards as hurricanes, floods, droughts, fires, and chemical releases.

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

WISCONSIN -- Several towing companies in Marathon County are trying to persuade the Sheriff's Department to send more business their way, while claiming the department uses towing companies outside the county more often than not.

Andy's Towing in Ringle estimates that towing companies in the area lose $600,000 in business each year because they don't get enough county referrals.

"When the customer doesn't have a preference, they may choose companies outside the county," said Peggy Olson, Andy's Towing office manager. "We feel that the towing companies in the county are capable and have good response times to accidents."
Olson and Dan Schmidt, owner of Schmidt's Towing and Body in Wausau, relayed their complaints at a county law enforcement meeting last week.

"I was hesitant to go for fear of retaliation of not being called," Schmidt said. "We are still not getting called."
Olson said she has been trying for years to get the Sheriff's Department to use towing companies in the county when drivers do not express a preference for a specific company.

The Sheriff's Department has a list of towing companies in the county that it uses for referrals.

Marathon County Sheriff Randy Hoenisch said his deputies take wrecks on a case-by-case basis, but usually the drivers of the vehicles decide what towing company they want to use.

"If you have someone up here from Stevens Point, they may want to use a towing company from there," Hoenisch said. "Otherwise, we pick the closest business to the scene, which isn't always in the county."
Hoenisch said he will review the policies, but emphasized that getting the quickest response is crucial.

Roger Sternot, owner of Sternot's Towing and Auto Repair in Mosinee, said it's the county's responsibility to get the closest towing company available.

"I could always use more business, but from my experience I don't see the county using too many out-of-county companies," Sternot said. "They call who's the closest, and it gets the job done."
Sternot's Towing is near the Portage County line, but Portage County does not call his company for service, he said.

"They don't want to see us in their county," he said. "They usually use their own companies." (Elizabeth Putnam - Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story

CALIFORNIA -- San Francisco police have opened a criminal investigation into whether police officers illegally profited from off-duty work at a towing company the city is suing for allegedly rigging automobile auctions.

The investigation grew out of a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday that charges City Tow, which San Francisco uses to coordinate towing of abandoned or illegally parked vehicles, with rigging public auctions to avoid paying required government fees. No charges have been filed against any officers.

As part of its contract, City Tow destroys useless vehicles and auctions off others. Money collected from auctions in excess of towing and storage costs is supposed to go to the city and state.

The question of police conduct emerged during a press conference that executives from City Tow, a division of Anaheim-based Pick Your Part Auto Wrecking, held to deny the lawsuit's accusations. The company has had an exclusive contract to tow abandoned or illegally parked cars in San Francisco since 1987.

The officials, who are trying to win a new five-year contract worth about $50 million, acknowledged some problems but said they have cooperated completely with city and state investigators.

City Tow officials released numerous documents to reporters, including some naming three police officers who worked off-duty for the company and bought cars. The company hires several officers for its auctions on Wednesdays because the sales at the company's storage lot at Pier 70 are done in cash and patrons have been known to get unruly.

The San Francisco Police Department issued a statement Wednesday saying it is "conducting an investigation to determine if there is any criminal misconduct on the part of any past or present City Tow employee, including members of the Police Department employed by City Tow in an off-duty capacity. " The statement did not name any officers.

At the press conference, City Tow officials cast suspicion on a San Francisco police officer who bought 29 cars at auction in just over two years.

City Tow fired the officer Wednesday morning. City Tow attorney Mark Epstein said the officer had a close relationship with the company's former general manager, who until last year ran the company's San Francisco operation.

Cindi Galfin, an executive vice president at Pick Your Part, said she was trying to determine whether the officer got discounts from the general manager that were not available to the public.

Galfin also said one transaction was suspicious to her because another employee reportedly bid on the car, but the title later appeared in the officer's name.

Epstein blamed any problems on errant employees, particularly the former general manager who retired from the company last year. He said he expects to name the former general manager in a cross-complaint that City Tow will file in response to the city's lawsuit.

"He was a longtime employee we had a lot of confidence in," said Glenn McElroy, Pick Your Part president and chief executive officer, who had flown to San Francisco to defend the company. "We did not do anything intentionally."

McElroy said that, by mistake, some fees on cars sold at auction were not paid to the city and state, but the company is auditing its records and paying that money. Epstein said he had been trying to deliver $90,000 in checks to state Attorney General Bill Lockyer's office earlier in the week.

In the suit filed by San Francisco and the state attorney general's office, the company is accused of keeping vehicles for itself, paying less for vehicles than it publicly bid at auction, failing to report sales to the city and state, and reporting false sales prices.

Lockyer spokesman Nathan Barankin said state investigators agree that City Tow officials have been cooperating, but they are waiting on taking any money until more investigating has been done.

Meanwhile, as an indicator of how much they want to retain the city's business, the company has paid $400,000 in the last four years to William G. Rutland, an influential city lobbyist who was once an aide to Mayor Willie Brown when he was in the state Assembly.

Board of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano said he is concerned that the competing tow companies get a fair shot at the upcoming bid process. Bids are due Dec. 17.

"There's been some suspicion or perception that (City Tow) has a lobbyist and connections with the mayor's office," Ammiano said.

Brown's spokesman, P.J. Johnston, said such suspicions are groundless.

Johnston said that Fred Hamdun, director of Department of Parking and Traffic, rejected an earlier bid for the contract by City Tow in 2001 as being inadequate. Hamdun also brought concerns to the city auditor, which found that the company was doing an adequate job, but was likely underpaying the city and the contract should be rebid.

"Fred Hamdun works for the mayor," Johnston said.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera has said damages and penalties against City Tow could run into the millions of dollars. His spokesman, Matt Dorsey, said Wednesday that nothing company officials said had changed his office's stance.

"I'm glad to hear that they want to be cooperative in discussing past wrongdoing, but it doesn't change the fact that there was wrongdoing," Dorsey said.

The city and state started investigating City Tow in July 2001 after a former City Tow manager, Dimitrios "Mac" McCarthy, filed whistle-blower claims in San Francisco Superior Court.

McCarthy was fired by City Tow in mid-1999 after he was arrested for allegedly helping a friend commit insurance fraud. Police executed a search warrant and found McCarthy in possession of two pistols, one of which had been reported stolen in 1986.

All charges against McCarthy were dropped in March 2001, and he is currently pursuing a wrongful termination lawsuit against City Tow. McCarthy also stands under state whistle-blower law to collect a portion of whatever money the city collects from City Tow in its lawsuit. (Patrick Hoge, Jaxon Van Derbeken, - San Francisco Chronicle)

Return to Headlines - Comment on This Story