I remember close to 6 years ago, when the private property towing was lucrative, both for the companies and drivers. No driver that ever worked for a company that I was employed as a manager, accounts manager or compliance manager, could ever say they didn’t made good money.
Yes, money was good, drivers hauling 10 -1 5 impounds on their 12hr shifts, as quick as they dropped impounds at the yard, hot impounds awaiting to be picked up were stacking up. I recall several fantastic accounts, like the Burger King behind Sams Boat, when as many as 30 impounds were stashed across the street so contract rollbacks could transport them to Tanglewood. Yes money was good and Mr. Black was making money for his company.
Another service that netted a lot of vehicles was the sticker patrol, where I and a coworker would check every vehicle in an apartment complex parking lot for expired registration/inspection stickers. This would done at night when everyone was home, asleep. The next morning the property manager was given a list of vehicles in violation with cdrom that showed the stickers attached. Usually, after the 3rd day, the manager would sign the authorization to tow all of vehicles except the ones that residents got an excuse for. Sticker Patrol on 350 unit complex would netted 80 – 120 vehicles, bunch of mad mofo waking up to find their vehicles towed for expired stickers.
When we first started using parking violations, the list started out with 23 violations, all with descriptions.
Nowadays, you have wrecker drivers moving legally parked in vehicles into parking violations, or towing a vehicle because the tire “touches” the white parking stripe. Towing vehicle parked in the manner is plain chicken shit, like the wrecker driver himself has never parked in a parking space “touching” the white stripe.
Yes, we have towed thousands of illegally parked vehicles, even tractor trailers, or just the trailers, from parking lots all over Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. But since I no longer work as a tow truck driver or manager, I still have the urge to return, although, my health is more important.
This latest towing scam, which has not been exposed, was by Central Towing of Austin, Texas. This is same towing company that saw its owner arrested for felony theft, while the owner’s wife filed bogus complaints against the wrecker enforcement detectives for doing their job. You see the SXSW investigation had 16 victims, only charge filed, so far. This latest scam during ACL has no less than 6 victims who have no idea they were victimized by Central Towing (criminals).
You would think a member of the Austin Towing Association would obey the law, but in Central’s case, it’s far from being over.
We can only hope that law enforcement will uphold the law (Occupation Code 2308) and arrest every wrecker driver for violating of the rules and regulations.
Pat Johnson
Texas Towing Compliance
