Magistrate continues towing-company case after city lays out dozens of alleged overcharges and cash-only practices

The City of Daytona Beach special magistrate continued its hearing into complaints against Volusia County Towing on Nov. 11, 2025 after receiving testimony from multiple residents and former employees alleging that the tow company routinely charged fees that exceed the rates allowed by city ordinance and that customers were told they could only pay in cash.

City witnesses described a pattern of incidents in which vehicle owners, including vacationers and renters, were told the cost to recover towed vehicles would be hundreds of dollars and were refused credit- or debit-card payments or an itemized receipt before paying. Mary Anne Whittemore, a vehicle owner who testified in person, described being told the tow yard would accept “just cash” and said she had to go to a bank to secure $475 to recover her car. “They said no. No debit card. No charge card. Just cash,” Whittemore said.

Police and code witnesses summarized at least a dozen incidents the city has logged with receipts that, the city says, show charges above the levels allowed under Daytona Beach ordinances and the corresponding Florida statutes. The city’s case included detailed line-item comparisons prepared by investigators that show the city-calculated permissible charge for a short custody tow would generally be…