Letter to the Editor
Towing issues
Published Monday, July 7, 2008
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Stumble It!July 2, 2008
To the editor:
The city of Fairbanks wants to solve problems with vehicle impoundment practices within the city. That seems like a good idea, until one sees the city’s “solution.”
The city’s new regulation is designed to protect Fairbanksans from predatory tow companies, but unfortunately for us all, it will increase fees for towing and roadside services all over the borough.
The city’s “solution” is so restrictive that small towing companies, the ones where the guy driving the tow truck actually owns it and he actually cares about your car, could be driven completely out of business.
Anyone with a towing emergency may be stuck waiting for one of only a few tow companies still allowed to tow in or through city limits. With no competition, those few companies will be able to charge whatever they want.
Additionally, business and property owners will be left with junk cars abandoned on their property, and homeowners will have to allow strangers parking on their private property for up to 12 hours. (I’m glad I don’t live near the fair grounds.)
If removing personal property rights and raising the cost of emergency towing is the City of Fairbanks’ idea of protection, then I count myself lucky to be a Badger Road resident.
I hope that I don’t break down in Fairbanks, because my tow truck driver friend says he’ll have to quit towing when the city’s new ordinance goes into effect and I already know I can’t afford what the big companies charge for a tow.
Community Discussion
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Once again the little guy is dead, limiting competion is a great way to make things more expensive. What ever happened to "free enterprise"? This is what happens when too many mothers send their kids to law school. I am sure this is another product from our "Chief of Staff", another dead beat lawyer...By the way, where in the city charter is he authorized??? I think this was a Jim Hayes idea,,,
Please cite the ordinances in question so us uninformed people, can look them up and write to the city with our views.
thanks.
The ordinance is currently in "draft" form, and is due to be presented to the council "mid July" per the Newsminer. However, there have been no public comment meetings to date. There is one scheduled July 30th. You can request a copy of the draft to be emailed to you from the mayor's office, or contact Patrick Cole, Chief of Staff, directly at pbcole@ci.fairbanks.ak.us
This ordinance started life more than a year ago in non-public, closed door committee. Per my source, which may or may not be accurate, the only identified private participants at the time were the City-contracted towing company, Fairbanks'premier repo agent(retired,)and lending institutions.
My towing friend says there are some "bad" towers in town, and I have personally heard some horror stories, so I can see where some regulation would be in order. But the new ordinance is punitive to small-time businesses, and punishes everybody for the actions of a few.
Towing companies operating outside city limits are really getting the shaft--they will be forced to pay the city's fees and extra licenses (on top of a City business license) just to be allowed within the City. I thought that was what the City business license was supposed to cover.
In a way I'm glad this is happening.. but I really haven't considered the cost factor in trying to fix the problem. My car was towed about three years ago and I went to pick it up that night. I spoke to an employee there who talked like "boomhauer"(sp) from "King of the Hill". I told this man I was there to pay the fine and get my car. Folks, I'm really not joking here.... from what I could understand, this man told me he didn't know what I was talking about, dispite me pointing out my car to him. I said, listen Mr. I don't want kind of game your running here or why your mockingly talking to me like you don't speak and/or understand basic english, but I'm getting my car! So I asked the cab driver to get out and listen to the way this guy talking to me, he did and started cracking up. He tells the guy, hey fella, she just wants to pay the bill and get the damn car....His response this time was in a surpisingly slightly more coherent "gomer pile accent". My cabbie is shaking his head and laughing his A** off and so is the other guy, albeit alittle neviously anxious. I never got my car.. no one ever answered the phone, and two days later I got a bill that you JUST would not beleive. Who do you complain to, BBB? Can we get this under control, without getting screwed further?
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