Skip to main content
Petition to End Predatory Non-Consensual Towing in Baton Rouge

Petition to End Predatory Non-Consensual Towing in Baton Rouge

1,071 signatures 429 to reach 1,500
T
Tom h. signed
S
Someone signed
C
Clare signed
C
Clare signed
S
Stevie R. signed
S
Someone signed
M
Martin C. signed
J
Jane C. signed
C
Cole H. signed
J
John F. signed
Started by Anonymous 15 years, 5 months ago
In the State of Louisiana, in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, and with regards to non-consensual towing operations, we adamantly argue for all relevant regulatory bodies: (1) To eliminate towing gate fees, (2) to eliminate "after-hours" fees assessed upon vehicle recovery at night, (3) to eliminate administrative fees assessed for recovering a vehicle, (4) to restrict non-consensual towing in private residences definable as apartments, condominiums, town homes (and the like) to phoned-in complaints, essentially withdrawing the right of predatory towing operators to prowl residential parking lots and tow upon discretion and without cause of action, (5) to change the storage fee for vehicles from $18/day flat rate to a pro-rata (pro-rated) time-basis ($18/24 hours x # of hours actually in storage), (6) to eliminate the fuel surcharge based on fuel prices and as a percentage of the flat-rate towing fee, changing it to reflect the actual fuel cost based on the mileage the tow truck operator actually drove to tow and store a vehicle, and (7) to perform state-led annual financial and legal audits on all towing operators engaged in non-consensual towing so as to hold them to the same standards of the actual government law enforcement agencies they so freely mimic. The purpose of towing on private property is to mitigate parking shortages. When no real parking shortages exist, and a towing operator is authorized to unscrupulously prowl parking lots at vague unsuspecting times and tow "unauthorized" vehicles even when a lot is only partially full, it creates a situation for the operator to take advantage of the law. In addition to the currently allowed rate of $102 in Louisiana for non-consensual private property tows, some towing companies levy a host of additional unregulated (or poorly regulated) fees that are subject to change at the operator's discretion. These fees can often amount to more than the actual maximum allowable towing fee of $102. The $102 flat rate towing fee published on towing warning signs is more than enough to account for time, labor, fuel, administration, storage, and a reasonable "fine" related to the non-consensual towing of a vehicle. After all, isn't that what the $102 was designed to cover? At the most fundamental level, the cost to a victim of non-consensual towing is a punishment that far outweighs the "crime" when considering a police parking ticket in downtown Baton Rouge is $10 if paid within a few weeks, and then $60 if not paid by the prescribed due date. Current regulation (or lack thereof) of non-consensual towing in the State of Louisiana fosters an environment ripe for the extortion of innocent and unknowing citizens living in certain regional settings by predatory towing operators.

Updates

Reached 1,000 supporters

March 31, 2011

Reached 100 supporters

March 10, 2011

March 9, 2011

Reaching our first hundred signatures represents a clear consensus that the current towing practices in our city are no longer acceptable. Please take a moment to forward this petition to someone who lives in our community because our collective momentum determines if we can finally bring these predatory operations to a halt.

9 Comments

S
Stevie Rogers
10 years ago Featured

I was recently towed by Mark's Towing in New Iberia, Louisiana. They gave me so much run around that only after 22 days was i able to get my vehicle and it cost $807.

A
Anonymous
12 years ago Featured

Riverside towing stole my father-in-law's car. Attempts were made to retrieve it and pay for it. He was a Veteran. We completely lost the car. Gone. We tried to speak with the owner and he would not return our calls. How can someone legally steal your car? Riverside towing found a way to do it.

B
Brittany West
15 years ago Featured

LSU students are being targeted and it is so unfair.

S
Sarah Lowe
15 years ago Featured

Ridiculous that they can just drive around and grab cars whenever they feel like it. Stop the greed.

M
Mike Fuentes
15 years ago Featured

My car was snatched from my own apartment complex at 3am. Had to pay 300 bucks just to get it back even though I had a parking pass. This is straight up robbery.

J
Jason Webb
15 years ago Featured

Total scam. Riverside held my truck for two days and charged me over 500 dollars. Someone needs to shut these guys down.

T
Tom harris
1 year ago

This practice seems to target LSU students

J
John Flemister
12 years ago

Towed once in 2006 while I was literally asleep in the car. Got it out for free after reviewing the video and complaining to the board that owned the apartment complex from which I was towed. Towed again in 2006 and paid a hideous sum to retrieve our Z71 Suburban. After returning to my garage the vehicle failed to get into gear. I had to leave town and have the car towed to a Chevy dealership in BR to have drivetrain reconnected, costing me a pretty penny and a 7 hour round trip drive. Towed again in 2007, which was "fair" assuming you consider predatory towing to be "fair". Fast forward to 2014. I'm a college graduate with a brand new, hard-earned car that I've had for a week. I drive down to Burbank to visit some friends and park in a space with an extremely faded "Permit" painted on the ground that I couldn't have possibly noticed in the dark of night. Well, here we are and I have no car. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.

Help this petition grow

Share it with friends to help reach 1,500 signatures.

Your share link

Share directly