The Broward County Commission took a step towards alleviating residents’ fear of predatory towing and other issues related to car towing.
The goal of the ordinance, according to Commissioner Lois Wexler, is “protecting the consumer.” In a show of support, the towing industry said it fully supports the ordinance put into place by the commission Tuesday.
Some highlights of the new rules include: all tow operators must obtain a county license, towing operators must undergo a criminal background check, consumers must get a ‘bill of rights’ when retrieving their cars, cash only policies are now illegal, and the tow lot must be open 24/7.
“Your ordinance makes a lot more sense, makes a lot more sense for the consumers and a lot more sense for the industry,” said Jim Jennings of Emerald Towing Service.
The ordinance will also require tow truck drivers to have a signed, written authorization to tow an illegally parked car. This part of the ordinance is targeted at drive-by, predatory towing. Commissioner Kristin Jacobs said the new law’s most important provision was licensing.
“To simply license these companies, that gives us the ability to yank the license from the bad guys, helps us to figure out who they are and who they are not,” said Jacobs.
“That’s the part we like, because it’ll eliminate the onesy-twosy guys that are operating out of their house, meeting customers in a parking lot to give ‘em their car back. They’re not running legitimate businesses,” said Sean Loscalzo of Superior Towing.
Local
While the new ordinance will protect consumers, it doesn’t mean that any of the laws for parking in areas like Las Olas or at Fort Lauderdale beach are not still in effect. But it does mean that there are now clear rules and restrictions for the tow truck operators who may remove your car.
