The Gainesville City Commissioner spent nearly three hours discussing roam towing and immobilization devices at its regular Thursday meeting and directed staff to return with options to cut down on the practices.
From March 1 through March 19, two local companies immobilized 667 vehicles. From March 1 through March 27, companies towed 126 vehicles through trespass towing—without the consent of the vehicle owner.
City Commissioners said the immobilizations and roam towing have become an issue and called it an unfair and predatory practice.
Mayor Harvey Ward said he wants to see immobilizations completely banned from the Gainesville city limits. He said immobilizations, like booting a car, can be done within five minutes, allowing these companies to quickly earn money. That’s why towing is on the decline, he said.
“Regardless of why that person parked in that space, I feel like it’s unfair to just make them part of the cash machine,” Ward said in a Friday media availability. “So, I am hopeful that we will get an ordinance back that does not include the potential for immobilization.”
Why spend the extra effort to tow the vehicle when you can make as much money in less time by placing a boot?
Within trespass towing, there’s two subcategories: roam towing and call-in towing.
Call-in towing happens when a private property owner calls a company and asks them to tow an unauthorized vehicle. Roam towing happens when a private property owner enters a contract with a towing company that allows it to drive around their properties and tow anyone without permission (usually because they don’t have the proper decal or authorized license plate).
With roam towing, the property owner doesn’t need to authorize each tow; it’s up to the towing company. According to the city, there are 593 Gainesville entities with trespass tow or immobilization contracts.
Immobilization happens like the call-in or roam towing, but the vehicle remains in place, with the driver unable to use it until they pay the fee.
Commissioners said they wanted to either scale back the use of roam towing by setting hours and/or locations where it’s allowed or get rid of the practice altogether. Those 596 businesses with contracts would need to call each time they wanted a vehicle towed instead.
Commissioner Casey Willits said he’d support a structure similar to Tallahassee, where roam towing is allowed for apartment complexes between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., according to a city presentation. Or Gainesville could force only a call-in service.
“But I’m ready to be done with roam towing and roam immobilization,” Willits said. “Let’s see how it goes; let’s see how we survive it. Other communities magically survive without it. I suspect we can survive as well.”
Commissioner Bryan Eastman said there’s lots of gradations for enforcement and limits within roam towing and immobilizations. He said he’ll be curious to hear what businesses think because the options aren’t always too clear-cut. Because of volume, tow companies might say they can only immobilize and not tow everybody. Or some businesses might prefer immobilization because it seems nicer, he said.
Willits asked that the commission direct staff to return with two options: one that eliminates all roam towing and immobilizations and one that places more limits around it.
The commission also updates its rates for towing to match those of Alachua County. The city hadn’t updated the rates in over 10 years, and a towed vehicle will now cost $150 as the base rate, plus per-day fees.
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I was victim to this unlawful loophole. I am suing both Gator beverage and Superior towing for extortion. they did not have the proper signs in front of each parking space and still do not l, directing the flow of traffic properly. they told me I got a boot for showing interest in the neighbors business they called the ” Pot Shop”. they are attacking customers who park and then want to look at surrounding businesses as they shop. That’s extortion especially when it’s based on their feelings about their competitors and then taking it out on the customer. All forms of communism are wrong Republican and Democrat. It’s wrong for Christians to participate in King James communism just as much as it’s wrong for pagans in America to participate in domestic terrorism.
You’re a joke. Don’t park at a business if plan on going somewhere else. It’s their right to protect their property just as the same right you have to protect your property. It’s simple
oh the irony. they make parking illegal and then cry when people get booted? FREE PARKING FOR GAINESVILLE!
It’s about time. These tow companies don’t follow the law. Gainesville city requires a 15 minutes Grace period before you can be towed. That’s an actual state statue. The Max rates that can be charged is $100 and the tow drivers are charging $120. Dispute these scam rates and force them to prove the grace period. I believe it’s Florida statue 150.017
Got proof? Sounds like You’re thinking with your feelings.
Yet another example of GNV ineptitude and mis-management:
1. “Predatory” towing in GNV is due, in large part, to the abysmal lack of public parking.
2. Lack of public parking is due, in large part, to approved “unbridled growth” with no regard for “real-world” limitations of space.
3. “The tail is wagging the dog”: where have the elected officials of the GNV City Commission been to have not had the foresight to realize this matter would be a problem?
well they either went to University of Florida or they went to Santa Fe Community college? personally my colors are blue and white. Some Dogs are Devil Dogs and some are Saints. 173rd Airborne all the way.
It’s nothing new. This has been a problem in Gainesville since the 80s when I first moved here. I’ve stood at a corner in downtown Gainesville and watched tow trucks active till two or 3 AM on weekends.
I Spy. With My Little Eye. Something Costly!!