Pat Johnson (txtow) Addresses Austin City Council

Mardi Gras Visitors Targeted by the Predators of Galveston, Tow Companies

Outright thievery is occurring on Galveston Island by Ace of Galveston Wrecker Service and the Seawall Food Store by towing vehicles without the vehicle owner's consent without providing required notice.

 

 The only two towing signs, both illegal because they fail to state who may park and prohibit all others, are posted more than 100' from the entrance entering from Seawall Blvd.  These towing signs can be posted no farther than 25' from the street. This parking facility has a total of three curb-cuts (entry points) that exceed 35' in width therefore requiring two signs at each curb-cut, facing and "conspicuously" visible to the driver of a vehicle that enters the facility, of which none of the two signs posted are.



All of the towing signs used by Galveston based towing companies, except Tony & Bros, fail to bear the words: "Unauthorized Vehicles Will Be Towed at Owner's or Operator's Expense" with no added text in this phrase, as shown in the above picture.

Ace of Galveston Wrecker Service's towing signs posted throughout Galveston Island are very misleading and an illegal.

Visitors to Galveston are urged to park on street whenever possible as the majority of parking facilities fail to meet the minimum requirements of the Texas Occupations Code, that allows towing.

In addition, with changes in State Law during the regular session of Texas Legislature, file your tow hearing request at a Justice of the Peace outside of Galveston for anyone towed on Galveston Island.

Vehicle owners caught in this ongoing towing scam can rest assured the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulations will hold these towing companies responsible for their blatant disregard of State Law and make them refund your money. (can take upwards of two years before actually getting the check in your hand)

The best option, if you have been towed from a private parking lot while in Galveston, still have the release documents, contact either of our towing attorneys, to recover every dime your entitled to, including any damage done during the removal of your vehicle.

Anyone towed from a private parking lot in Galveston is entitled to $1000 plus triple damages and the filing fee. If your vehicle was damaged while being towed, you can also recover the cost to repair your vehicle during this civil suit to recover damages your entitled to.

For more valuable information on illegal towing, visit Texas Towing Compliance.

El Paso Tow Predators Nabbed by TDLR after many complaints

El Paso, Texas is home to a military base, a university, cross border shoppers that pumps millions of dollars into the local economy. One visit for most is enough not to return after being victimized by a predatory tow truck operator, then turned away by the El Paso Police Department, claiming it’s a civil issue.
Since 2011, the tow hotline has taken 1037 complaints on El Paso Towing and 428 complaints on Extreme Towing, with additional calls daily.  Both of these companies are members Predatory Southwest Tow Operators whose founder, Dan Messina teaches other dishonest tow company owners how to commit Workers Comp Fraud to increase their profits.
The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulations (TDLR) dropped both of these companies to their knees with a huge fine, for outright stealing vehicles from parking lots while the EL PASO POLICE DEPT allows them to commit felon criminal offenses with impunity.. Totally insane!

Company: EL PASO TOWING City: EL PASO County: EL PASO Zip Code: 79905 Company: VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION, LTD, LLP City: EL PASO County: EL PASO Zip Code: 79905 License #: 6056280C Complaint # TOW20140002379

Date: 1/27/2015 Respondent is assessed an administrative penalty of $10,575. An administrative penalty of $6,900 is assessed for TOW20140002379, TOW20140010321, and TOW20140018521; and an administrative penalty of $3,675 is assessed for VSF20140001582 and VSF20140007322.

Respondent failed to release a vehicle without charge when the owners vehicle had not been fully hooked up; Respondent charged more than allowed per city ordinance for a nonconsent tow; Respondent charged a fee for services not included in a list of fees established by city ordinance; Respondent failed to provide a tow ticket to the vehicle owner/operator; Respondent charged an impoundment fee but the written bill for services did not specify the exact services performed for that fee and the dates those services were performed; Respondent towed a vehicle from a parking facility that did not have the required signage prohibiting unauthorized vehicles; Respondent charged fee not related to the towing of a vehicle; Respondent failed to include all required information on a vehicle owner’s written notice of rights; Respondent failed to have sign posted at the VSF listing all the documents that may be presented to obtain possession of the vehicle; Respondent’s notice failed to contain the required information; Respondent failed to have a sign displayed to the public which listed the Department’s information for purposes of directing complaints; Respondent failed to use plastic or canvas tarpaulins to ensure the impoundment of the vehicle.

HUERTA, JUAN A Company: EXTREME TOWING City: EL PASO County: EL PASO Zip Code: 79924 License #: 5452138C Complaint # TOW20130010637

Date: 1/27/2015 Respondent is assessed an administrative penalty in the amount of $3,200. Respondent’s tow company license is placed on a one year probated suspension. Respondent shall, within three months of the date of an Agreed Order herein, ensure that all of its tow operators have completed a total of 4 hours of Department-approved continuing education in Texas laws and rules that regulate the conduct of towing operators meeting the requirements of 16 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §86.250(b)(2). Any tow operators hired after the issuance of an Agreed Order in this case shall obtain such continuing education within two months of his or her date-of-hire. The duty to complete the four hours of continuing education in Texas laws and rules that regulate the conduct of towing operators is in addition to continuing education requirements otherwise necessary for a tow operator to renew his or her license. Respondent shall maintain records sufficient to allow the Department, upon request, to verify compliance with this requirement and shall provide complete records upon request by the Department.

Respondent charged more than allowed per city ordinance for a nonconsent tow; Respondent towed a vehicle from a parking facility that did not have the required signage prohibiting unauthorized vehicles.

Everybody that has been towed by either of these two unscrupulous companies should sue the landowner, business owner and/or property management company that authorized these two to tow vehicles…
Keep filing the TDLR online complaints every time you encounter a tow truck operator or vehicle storage facility employee in El Paso, Texas.
These two tow companies continue to target members of the military, their families, college students and federal law enforcement members, as neither provide legal tow signs and none have a valid 255 document.

Previous articles reference these crooks: Extreme Extreme 

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