The last straw has been pulled by a Texas state agency, the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation, by forcing consumers, should they file complaint, wait for as long as year, before any action taken on their behalf. It is a terrible situation for motorists who are scammed by towing companies, wrecker drivers and vehicle storage facilities. Of course, the towing industry, depending who you talk to, are upset their regulatory agency (TDLR) is forcing huge fines upon them, some deserve it, while others are scratching their heads, wondering how they are to compete/survive, when their competitors are giving the house away for free, a violation of State Law and TDLR does nothing.
According to Adam Fellows, a TDLR prosecutor, who before served as a felony prosecutor in East Texas, their agency can't enforce the criminal aspects of the Texas Towing Law, nor regulate what a licensee advertises, even if it's a crime.
Consumers once again, are being snubbed by the bureaucracy within the Texas Department of License & Regulations who guarantees job security for agency employees, while consumers are being raked across the coals for their hard earned money or lose their vehicle, because of a long drawn out process. It's total bullshit!
Thinking back to when the towing and vehicle storage facility industries were regulated by TxDOT, if a consumer called about an issue, such as refusal by the vehicle storage facility, to provide required information or release a vehicle with required documents, someone from TxDOT would call the licensee, but not with TDLR, according to Mike Yuhr at 512-463-3097, those TDLR employees who answer the complaint line at 800-803-9202 can do nothing for you, other than tell you to file a complaint.
This really sucks, for Texas consumers, who have nobody to turn to being raped by a TDLR licensee!
In the near future, I will redesign my website, texastowingcompliance.com, to focus on Austin, at least motorists can be assured, illegal towing will not be tolerated by the Austin Police Department. It is not uncommon for wrecker drivers to be arrested in Austin for scamming motorists on a daily basis, unlike most cities where law enforcement agencies won't allow their officers or deputies to arrest a wrecker driver for committing a class b misdemeanor.
I have never understood why a property manager hasn't been charged with an offense for accepting financial benefits, since their towing company, striped their parking lot, spaces narrower, installed signage, provided parking permits, resident letters, provided employees to walk parking lot to sticker vehicles and towing for management employees, for free.
Towing towing companies and parking facilities who engage in criminal conduct and payoff their Judges thru campaign donations who preside over tow hearing, seriously needs to stop. Motorists have been burned enough, especially the trucking industry, being targeted by TDLR advisory board members.
I don't expect much to change, matter of fact, things will worsen for some, but the private property impound business is lucrative, when the law is followed.
We will know what the new regulated fee for private property impounds this year, until then, motorists will be overcharged in areas not regulated.
