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Council orders review of towing ordinance after residents allege predatory fees
Summary
Council heard detailed complaints about alleged predatory towing and excessive charges; staff said they will draft ordinance amendments to align city code with state law and add notification requirements, and the police chief described enforcement options including charging tow operators and business owners.
Council members on Monday said they have received numerous complaints alleging predatory towing practices that charge far above the city fee cap and hold vehicles at private lots.
A council member (speaker 13) described a wave of complaints over the last two years and relayed reports of residents — often young women — being quoted $250–$300 to reclaim a vehicle where the council's daytime maximum is $135 and after-hours the allowable additional charge is $35. "We've been seeing where people was getting charged almost double the maximum amount of money," the council member said, naming multiple residents who reported similar experiences.
City staff (speaker 19) told council the finance committee has discussed amendments focused on tow-company notification requirements and bringing the city ordinance into closer alignment with state law. Interim Chief Starling (speaker 8) said enforcement begins with citizen notification and an investigation of whether the ordinance has been followed; if violations are found, the department can charge both the tow operator and the business owner that contracted towing services.
Council directed staff and the city attorney to prepare draft ordinance language and bring the proposed changes back to the finance committee for review. Staff also noted some towed vehicles taken under police rotational tow arrangements follow a state Department of Public Safety fee schedule separate from commercial private-property towing.
