This morning, a sitting judge, (not elected by voters) found Don Lee Creamer, Owner of Central Towing of Austin, guilty in reference to the towing scam during the 2009 SXSW Music Festival.
Creamer has been ordered to pay the victim, $500 in restitution and on November 18, 2010, Creamer will be sentenced.
This conviction based on Austin City Ordinance will result in Creamer's city tow truck operator's license being revoked. If Creamer is caught towing a vehicle with a revoked license, he will go to Jail, while his tow truck is impounded by Southside.
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Something Must Change Soon
Good morning, it's a nice day here in Austin, Texas, not a cloud in the sky, but a dark cloud remains over TDLR, the Texas Towing Law, law enforcement who ignore their responsibilities and judges who base their finding not what the law says, rather campaign donations.
Consumers are taking a hard financial hit, as certain towing companies and wrecker drivers operate outside the bounds of Law, knowing they can commit criminal offenses everyday in their communities, while their police departments, ignore the fact a crime has been committed, with the same old punch line, "It's civil issue". There is NO VALID EXCUSE why any law enforcement agency fails to hold wrecker drivers, towing company owners and parking facility owner/manager/operator criminal responsible for knowingly violating the Law.
When will it every stop, criminal activity within the private property towing industry.
Why law enforcement statewide can't be on the same page in regards to enforcement of the towing law, that carries criminal penalties, is mind blowing, it gives the appearance to many, that the police are being paid off by their buddy towing company to reap ill-gotten financial gain.
TDLR recently made it to Facebook and Twitter, as if these social networks are going to boost the credibility with consumers, who do not benefit by filing complaints with their agency. I encourage TDLR to list all their licensees who are registered sex offenders, so consumers can make that choice rather or not if they want a convicted child molester arriving at their home to repair their ac unit with a mother and young children present, or arriving in a tow truck when calling a motor club to assist their teenager broken down on dark highway.
For the most, it's my opinion, that the City of Austin(COA) provides the best assistance to consumers who feel violated by a towing company or wrecker driver. The COA wrecker ordinance restricts registered sex offenders from being issued a tow truck operator license. Our city government and police department understand the dangers of allowing convicted felons, specifically child molesters, murderers, rapists and other hardcore criminals to come in contact with the public in a tow truck. Other cities around the state and TDLR frequently allow these types of career violent felony offenders to mingle of the public.
At the last TDLR Commissioners Meeting, TDLR staff denied an application for tow truck operator license convicted of raping a 14 year old girl, only to be overturned by Commission Chairman Frank Denton, who in my opinion should resign for unethical behavior, Commissioners Fred Moses and LuAnn Roberts Morgan. There decision was based after caving into Marcus Hull, general counsel for Southwest Tow Operators, not to mention part owner of Assured Towing Inc, who towed and stored 191 private property impounds at the unlicensed storage facility.
TDLR in my opinion should revoke Assured Towing Inc's towing and vehicle storage facility licensees for blatant abuses of State Law.
The very people (law enforcement) the public expects to protect them from organized criminal activity does nothing and TDLR surely doesn't plan to do anything other than collect fines from licensees, issue licenses to child molesters and our court system has become so litigated, the only people who benefit are attorneys and corrupt towing companies.
It's really sad how the business community ie parking facility owner/operators have sacrificed their integrity for the sake profit. I remember a time, when a property manager would never even think of accepting a financial benefit from a towing company salesperson or owner, but it happens everyday, in the form of free parking lot striping, permits and etc.
After hearing repeatedly in the news media regarding our state budget shortfall in the millions of dollars, TDLR's appropriations should be cut additional 15%, since they do nothing positive for consumers taken advantage by their licensees.
Motorist statewide continue to be abused by the drop fee when they catch the wrecker driver still in a private parking lot in the process of hooking up their vehicle. TDLR has done absolutely nothing to illustrate what "ready to transport" means, as I have shown on Texas Towing Compliance's Facebook page.
Consumers are taking a hard financial hit, as certain towing companies and wrecker drivers operate outside the bounds of Law, knowing they can commit criminal offenses everyday in their communities, while their police departments, ignore the fact a crime has been committed, with the same old punch line, "It's civil issue". There is NO VALID EXCUSE why any law enforcement agency fails to hold wrecker drivers, towing company owners and parking facility owner/manager/operator criminal responsible for knowingly violating the Law.
When will it every stop, criminal activity within the private property towing industry.
Why law enforcement statewide can't be on the same page in regards to enforcement of the towing law, that carries criminal penalties, is mind blowing, it gives the appearance to many, that the police are being paid off by their buddy towing company to reap ill-gotten financial gain.
TDLR recently made it to Facebook and Twitter, as if these social networks are going to boost the credibility with consumers, who do not benefit by filing complaints with their agency. I encourage TDLR to list all their licensees who are registered sex offenders, so consumers can make that choice rather or not if they want a convicted child molester arriving at their home to repair their ac unit with a mother and young children present, or arriving in a tow truck when calling a motor club to assist their teenager broken down on dark highway.
For the most, it's my opinion, that the City of Austin(COA) provides the best assistance to consumers who feel violated by a towing company or wrecker driver. The COA wrecker ordinance restricts registered sex offenders from being issued a tow truck operator license. Our city government and police department understand the dangers of allowing convicted felons, specifically child molesters, murderers, rapists and other hardcore criminals to come in contact with the public in a tow truck. Other cities around the state and TDLR frequently allow these types of career violent felony offenders to mingle of the public.
At the last TDLR Commissioners Meeting, TDLR staff denied an application for tow truck operator license convicted of raping a 14 year old girl, only to be overturned by Commission Chairman Frank Denton, who in my opinion should resign for unethical behavior, Commissioners Fred Moses and LuAnn Roberts Morgan. There decision was based after caving into Marcus Hull, general counsel for Southwest Tow Operators, not to mention part owner of Assured Towing Inc, who towed and stored 191 private property impounds at the unlicensed storage facility.
TDLR in my opinion should revoke Assured Towing Inc's towing and vehicle storage facility licensees for blatant abuses of State Law.
The very people (law enforcement) the public expects to protect them from organized criminal activity does nothing and TDLR surely doesn't plan to do anything other than collect fines from licensees, issue licenses to child molesters and our court system has become so litigated, the only people who benefit are attorneys and corrupt towing companies.
It's really sad how the business community ie parking facility owner/operators have sacrificed their integrity for the sake profit. I remember a time, when a property manager would never even think of accepting a financial benefit from a towing company salesperson or owner, but it happens everyday, in the form of free parking lot striping, permits and etc.
After hearing repeatedly in the news media regarding our state budget shortfall in the millions of dollars, TDLR's appropriations should be cut additional 15%, since they do nothing positive for consumers taken advantage by their licensees.
Motorist statewide continue to be abused by the drop fee when they catch the wrecker driver still in a private parking lot in the process of hooking up their vehicle. TDLR has done absolutely nothing to illustrate what "ready to transport" means, as I have shown on Texas Towing Compliance's Facebook page.