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Residents press city and contractor over impound notifications and rising towing fees
Summary
At the council meeting, residents and a towing contractor clashed over whether vehicle owners are notified promptly when MPD dispatches a tow and whether storage and tow fees escalate before owners learn of an impound. Council asked staff to review the contract and paperwork.
Residents at Tuesday's Montgomery City Council meeting urged the council to review the city's contract with its vehicle towing contractor and to examine notification and fee practices after multiple speakers said owners received delayed notice and steep fees.
Dynasty Mitchell, representing Seaman Record Service (the contractor identified on the council agenda), described the company's process for vehicle recovery and said the contractor is dispatched primarily by Montgomery Police Department (MPD). Mitchell told council members Seaman follows the contractual process: when MPD dispatches recovery, the tow company picks up the vehicle, runs owner and lienholder checks and sends certified letters using owner information found in state records.
A resident identified as Mr. Boyd challenged that account, saying he received certified letters 45 days after a vehicle was picked up and that fees had grown to about $1,700 while owners were not notified. "I don't think they was being honest," Boyd told the council, adding he had documentation showing letter dates and fee totals. Other speakers asked whether the city's investigative holds and MPD notification responsibilities were being performed as required.
Mitchell cited Alabama Code section 32-13-2 (as attached in their exhibit) and said the statute assigns responsibility for law enforcement to notify owners when a vehicle is removed and held; Mitchell also said Seaman runs owner searches and sends certified letters but that there can be mismatches between the data available to officers at the scene and the contractor's records.
Council members and staff acknowledged gaps in the process. One councilor noted that the contract grants MPD a ten-day free storage hold for investigations (the contractor said its practice is to allow a 10-day hold even where the contract cites five days), and that ultimate storage responsibility shifts to owners after the hold is released. Several councilors said they want staff and the towing company to provide the documentation used at pickup, the certified-mail evidence, and the contract exhibits for a council-side review. A resident asked the city to consider a cap on fees when investigations are delayed.
Action: Council directed staff to review the towing contract, verify notification procedures and provide the exhibits and supporting documents to council members for further consideration. No ordinance or contract award/change was adopted at the meeting.
