Demong’s notice concerns unsolicited tow trucks

A Calgary councilor wants the city to protect drivers from towing companies that “prey” on drivers at the scene of car accidents.

November 7 Ward 4 Coun. Peter Demong will table a motion to tackle “predatory behavior” by towing companies.

The proposal aims to change the regulations, create a perimeter around disaster sites and introduce penalties.

Demong claims in the motion that there is a “growing local trend” of towing companies showing up at collision scenes before they are called and then charging drivers “ridiculously inflated invoices” to remove vehicles from the parking lot where they are being towed.

Carter Duczek (18) and his father Damen say they have recently encountered this type of situation.

Carter was involved in an accident downtown on Aug. 31. He called the police, but says the towing company arrived on the scene within minutes before officers did.

“It was immediate,” he said. “They showed up and no one called them. They just arrived very quickly.”

Duczek says the tow truck driver quickly connected his vehicle and assured him his insurance company would cover the towing costs.

Still, he claims that just a few days later, when he went to pick up his vehicle from the company lot, he received a quote of almost $3,000.

“I was a little shocked, I expected maybe $500,” he said. “I kind of just trusted them. They showed up pretty quickly, told me not to worry about it, made them seem like good people, they would take care of me.”

Duczek’s dad, Damen, owns the vehicle and says he was able to negotiate a settlement with the company for $2,100, but he believes the charges on the invoice made no sense.

He says he later received reimbursement from his insurance company, but wonders how these types of tow truck companies can operate.

“It was just very shady,” he said. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. “What happened to him shouldn’t happen to anyone else.”

Calgary has a contract with City Wide Towing for collisions requiring a police response within the City of Calgary. It was not the company that towed Duczek’s vehicle.

Operations Manager Jeff Hribmak says he started seeing these types of tow trucks at accident scenes starting this summer, but now he sees them almost every day.

“The amounts I see and hear (about these companies) are absurd, they are outside the scope of towing practices,” he said. “It’s not illegal, no, but drivers in general are being exploited.”

Hribmak said he recently reviewed another customer’s bill with a different towing company and found that the customer was charged more than twice the price agreed with the city.

“Do your research. Choose a reputable company,” he warned.

In his upcoming Notice of Proposal, Demong urges the city to consider amending the business license statute or creating regulations prohibiting towing companies from stopping within a collision radius unless called by emergency services or those involved in the collision. catastrophe.

The proposal also calls for the introduction of fines to deter “poachers”, including overcharging for repeat offenders.

Demong’s motion states that “poachers” are using scanners to answer Calgary Fire Department (CFD) calls and that establishing a perimeter will prevent CFD from having to equip the department with encrypted radios, which will cost about $500,000.

The notice says that when emergency crews ask businesses to move away from the scene, they are met with verbal abuse and, in some cases, near-physical confrontations.

Calgary police say the issue was brought to their attention by CFD, but no formal complaints have been filed.

“We have been made aware of some cases where citizens have been overcharged for towing and storage, so we are aware of these situations,” said Deputy Chief Chad Tawfik.

“This issue has only recently come to our attention and has been a bigger issue in other jurisdictions, so we are aware it has happened elsewhere.”

Recently in Edmonton approx unsolicited tow truck operator was charged after police said he refused to hand over the vehicle to its owner.

Ontario too cracked down on the unfair tow truck industry this summer by introducing a new certification requirement – ​​a first among Canadian provinces.

Ricky Bagga, managing partner at Crash Lawyers, says he has had several clients who have been targeted by towing companies.

He says it’s important for drivers to remember they have a choice when it comes to their vehicle.

“Ultimately, I tell everyone that you have the right to choose the company that will take care of the tow truck and where it will be towed. You have time to decide whether you want to tow it or not. In many cases, there is no obligation to move the vehicle immediately unless instructed to do so by CPS,” he said.

Bagga also recommends having a dash cam to record any conflicts.

Police encourage people to report these types of incidents involving tow truck drivers so they can determine whether criminal charges may be filed.

• They also offer the following tips to drivers if they feel they are being pressured by a tow truck driver:
• If you are involved in a collision and need to be towed, wait until emergency services arrive on the scene before agreeing to have your vehicle towed;
• Law enforcement agencies typically work with vehicle towing companies. CPS will make towing easier in the event of serious injury or fatal collisions;
• For non-injury collisions, people can choose the towing company of their choice if they do not want to use a CPS partner agency; AND,
• Legitimate towing companies will not use high-pressure or fear-based tactics and will not charge exorbitant prices or additional fees on top of the cost of towing.