Gainesville Moves to End ‘Roam Towing’

Gainesville city commissioners have taken a major step toward ending “roam towing,” a practice that allows tow companies to patrol marked private parking areas and tow or boot vehicles without receiving a request for a specific vehicle.

Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading Sept. 17. If approved on second reading, the measure would require property owners or their authorized representatives to specifically request the removal of an individual vehicle.

The city contracts towing services with Superior Towing. Commissioner Ed Book said accountability for towing vendors is essential and said Superior has generated the most informal complaints received by email.

The ordinance would not eliminate private-property towing, but it could significantly change the business model for towing operators. Instead of proactively patrolling properties and identifying violations, operators would have to wait for a property owner or authorized representative to request a tow. That could mean fewer tows, less predictable revenue and higher response costs because trucks would be dispatched specifically to individual calls rather than finding violations while patrolling.

Commissioner Harvey Ward noted that cities across the country, including other college towns, operate without roam towing.

The ordinance must receive a second approval before taking effect.

Source: https://www.wcjb.com