Resident alleges steep impound fees; council agrees to reintroduce impound rules to committee

A Montgomery resident told the City Council on Feb. 18 that a private towing company charged escalating fees and delayed owner notification after impounding his vehicle, and the council agreed to reintroduce impound regulations to committee for review.

William Boyd, a resident who said his car was towed on Dec. 3, 2024, told the council he received a letter from the towing company indicating the vehicle would be sold at auction and that he owed about $1,700 to recover it. Boyd said the company—s social-media posts suggested similar incidents affecting other low-income residents.

"They got thousands of views of people that that fear what I fear. Indeed, people have been misused," Boyd said. He told the council that his original tow fee was low but that storage and additional fees had escalated over time.

Councilmember Mitchell proposed sending the impound issue back to the Government Affairs committee and asked whether that committee chair would accept it. Council leadership agreed to reintroduce an impound ordinance and refer it to committee for further work. Council members also said they would invite SEMA, the towing company identified by the speaker, to appear before the council or committee to explain its notification and storage processes.

Council members discussed the difference between tow fees and storage fees and noted that some fees are charged while a vehicle remains in impound. Council members also urged owners to report missing vehicles promptly and to pursue legal remedies if appropriate.

The transcript records no formal vote to change ordinances; rather, the council directed staff to reintroduce the impound item and refer it to committee.

Next steps recorded in the meeting included reintroducing the ordinance in the next meeting and formally assigning it to committee so council and staff can work toward a potential solution or code change.