Council approves changes to towing rates, storage and release rules
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Summary
The council approved revisions to the city's tow order that raise rotation and nonconsensual towing rates, set fees for oil‑drying and storage, permit credit-card pass-through fees with disclosure, and allow temporary nonrelease of vehicles in some safety situations.
The Tuscaloosa City Council approved revisions to the city’s towing order that raise several fees and clarify vehicle-release procedures, the council was told.
Chief Clark and city staff described the key changes as an increase in the base tow rate for rotation and nonconsensual tows from $185 to $210, a new $275 fee for vehicles over 7,000 pounds or with two axles, a $25 charge to cover oil‑drying material after wrecks, and a $40 storage rate.
Staff said the after‑hours vehicle‑release fee remains $75 but the city will no longer require tow operators to stay open two hours after game‑day events to release vehicles at no charge; operators may charge the after‑hours fee when they must return to the lot to release a vehicle. Staff also said that if an operator is already at the lot, they may not add an additional after‑hours charge for that release.
The revised order allows tow operators to pass along customers’ credit‑card processing fees up to the operator’s actual cost, provided the operator discloses the fee amount in advance, staff said.
On safety, staff said tow operators may withhold vehicle release if they reasonably believe a caller is intoxicated or violent; in those cases operators may delay release until a ‘‘cool‑down’’ period, such as the following day, for safety reasons.
Council members moved and seconded the item; the document was split for voting purposes and both portions were approved by voice vote, with no opposing votes recorded in the meeting transcript.
Tow company representatives were reported to attend the meeting for the item, and city staff said they had worked with tow operators on the changes.
