New Anti-Towing Group Launches Attack Against Towing Industry

Has the tow industry “stolen billions of dollars” from the transportation industry? Has the tow industry killed carriers and other small businesses with big bills? Are lawyers who represent these tow companies “accomplices to crimes?” That is what a new anti-towing group called the “Abusive Tow Authority” (the “ATA”) claims.  

By |2020-08-03T14:12:59-05:00August 3rd, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

Your Driver Thinks He Has Been Exposed To COVID-19. Now What?!

A TowLawyer.com subscriber recently informed me that one of his tow truck driver-employees had taken a trip to the beach with his adult daughter and her family.  After he had been back to work for a few days, the driver found out that his daughter had been diagnosed with COVID-19.  The driver felt fine and was not displaying any symptoms of the coronavirus.  The TL subscriber asked, “What should I do?  What can I legally do?  Do I have to send him home?  Can I require him to be tested for COVID-19 infection?”  Those are important questions in these trying times.

By |2020-06-28T22:08:36-05:00June 28th, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

Court Rules That Property Owner, Not Towing Company, Liable For $6,000+ In Attorney’s Fees In Wrongful Towing Case

Generally, under what is known as the “American Rule,” all parties to litigation are responsible for paying their own attorney’s fees. But a state legislature can, by statute, require the losing party to a lawsuit to pay the winning party’s legal costs in some circumstances. That is referred to as a “fee-shifting” statute.  Under Illinois law, the loser in an unlawful towing case may be required to pay the vehicle owner’s attorney’s fees. In Roberto Lopez v. Rendered Services, Inc., an Illinois appellate court had to decide who the loser is in a successful wrongful towing case.

By |2020-06-01T10:40:31-05:00May 31st, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

COVID-19 Pandemic: How do the New Laws Affect my Tow Business?

Is a tow company an “essential business” and do I have to pay my employees if they don’t report to work? A few weeks ago, these questions were not on anyone’s radar. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the answers to these questions are vital.  

By |2020-04-06T09:07:31-05:00April 6th, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

Court Upholds Conviction in Shooting of Tow Truck Driver

On June 29, 2016, a Shelby County (Tenn.) jury rejected Proffitt’s claim of self-defense and convicted him of attempted second degree murder. Proffitt was sentenced to fourteen (14) years in prison. He appealed the judgment to the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals. In a written opinion issued on December 13, 2018, the appellate court in State of Tennessee v. Joseph Proffitt upheld the jury’s verdict.    Former tow truck driver Arnold remains paralyzed and is confined to a wheelchair. Proffitt currently resides at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in middle Tennessee. He has a parole hearing scheduled in July 2020.

By |2020-03-26T17:25:50-05:00March 26th, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

Wrecked Tow Trucks: Assessing the Total-Loss Value or Cost of Repair

Murel Laughlin, owner of Laughlin Wrecker Service, in Greeneville, Tennessee, passed away in January 2014. But he left behind an important court ruling about assessing the value of used tow trucks.

By |2020-02-11T13:35:31-06:00February 11th, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

Oops! Repo’ing Towing Company Hooks Up To More Than Expected

Every automobile loan agreement contains a provision allowing for self-help repossession in the event of default.  If the borrower does not make the scheduled loan payments on time, a repossession agent is sent to pick up the vehicle.  The uniform code on secured transactions provides that a repossession must be accomplished “without breach of the peace.”

By |2020-01-10T09:12:51-06:00January 10th, 2020|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

Unpaid Recovery Bills Just a “Cost of Doing Business”?!

Earlier this month I attended a meeting of a state legislative advisory board that was created to study issues in the towing industry. The 11-member board consists of law enforcement officials, state government officials, and members of the state towing association. The board meets twice a year with a stated purpose to make recommendations to the legislature and law enforcement on ways to improve the interaction between the towing industry and those that it serves.

By |2019-10-28T11:20:04-05:00October 28th, 2019|Billing & Collections|0 Comments

Checks Marked “Payment in Full”

A TowLawyer subscriber called last week about an insurance check he had received as payment for a tractor-trailer roll-over recovery. Before he received the check, he and the insurance company had been engaged in a running dispute about the amount of the invoice. The insurance company sent the towing company a check in the amount that it considered to be reasonable for the recovery services provided. The check was thousands of dollars less than the invoice amount. On the back of the check, at the bottom of the endorsement box, the following words were printed in bold type: “ACCEPTED AS PAYMENT IN FULL.”

By |2019-09-12T08:09:56-05:00September 12th, 2019|Billing & Collections|0 Comments

Political Discussions in the Workplace

When adopting a policy around political discussion, tow companies should distinguish between what an employee can do off the clock versus on the clock. Importantly, an ideal policy should include language that will allow an employer to maintain control over the workplace. Therefore, employers should advise employees that any workplace disruptions, including disruptive political discussions, may be subject to discipline. 

By |2019-09-06T11:46:04-05:00September 6th, 2019|Other Legal Issues|0 Comments

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