The City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday night on first reading in favor of an ordinance setting caps on the amounts towing companies can charge for nonconsensual tows off private property.
“We’ve got to get some control of this, the way our citizens are getting exploited,” Councilman Jack Benson said.
Chattanooga is the largest city not to have guidelines for private property tows.
The council debated at length during its Legal and Legislative Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon about putting caps on how much tow operators could charge.
The ordinance the council passed places the maximum amounts at $135 for nighttime towing and $125 for daytime towing.
Councilwoman Pam Ladd said she agreed there needs to be a cap, but worried that towing operators might not be able to recoup their costs with the ones proposed.
“I feel it’s too low,” she said.
The council plans to talk about the measure again next week when it comes back up for second reading.
Council members discussed whether some of the problems in the towing industry would be alleviated if the public was notified through signage about rates. Councilwoman Carol Berz talked about having businesses post signs telling what the charges would be.
Carter Gross, owner of Carter Towing, handed out a sign to council members as an example. The sign showed different charges with some parts in big, bold-red type.
“If you can’t see that, you’re blind,” he said.
BY THE NUMBERSThe City Council proposed new fees for non-consensual towing on private property* $135: Amount charged for towing a vehicle at night* $125: Charges for daytime towing* $75: Fee the owner can pay to have the towing company “drop” the vehicle if it has not left the siteSource: Chattanooga ordinance
But Councilwoman Sally Robinson did not like that idea.
“I really hate hearing we’re going to have to put up more visual pollution, and this is what it’s going to be,” she said.
In other news, council members also talked in the Legal and Legislative Committee meeting about a proposed ordinance for a special gathering permit. City officials said the ordinance would require a permit for any gathering of 50 people or more where alcohol is involved. It would apply only after 11 p.m.
Council members said they also would like to see the city attorney’s office write more restrictions in the ordinance, including a requirement that whoever is having the gathering would need to have a business license, provide state-certified security and carry liability insurance.