KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – City leaders created new rules for tow companies to follow across the city.
Members of the city council passed the ordinance during a meeting on Sept. 11, following months of consideration about how to handle complaints about predatory towing.
The new rules address how tow truck operators are allowed to handle towing, fees, and even respond to accidents.
The ordinance requires every tow truck company that operates in Kansas City, Mo. to file a price list with police.
It is illegal for the companies to tow more than the prices on the list. They are allowed to take distance, vehicle weight, and other things into account when creating the price list.
Tow operators are required to show customers their company’s price list before towing a vehicle.
If the owner is at the scene, the tow driver is also required to provide a “Bill of Rights for Towed Vehicles.”
The city is responsible for setting prices for tows the city orders. The ordinance also allows the city to hire contractors to manage the tows.
When towing from private property, the newly-passed ordinance requires tow companies to follow specific rules:
If the vehicle has been reported stolen, the tow company cannot move it and are required to report it to police.
Police also have a very specific requirement when a tow is needed. The ordinance explains when a police officer can approve a tow:
There are only a handful of reasons when a property owner is allowed to authorize a tow without a police officer being involved.
Kansas City’s new rules establish when and how tow trucks can respond to accidents across the city, including:
Trucks will not be allowed to stay at a crash scene if officers tell them to leave.
Towing from a crash scene if they weren’t called to the area is illegal unless it falls into the following categories:
Violators face fines up to $500 and up to 180 days in jail according to the ordinance. The law also allows a violator’s tow truck to be impounded in certain circumstances.
In addition to how tow companies operate in Kansas City, the new ordinance also outlines new requirements for the actual company.
Kansas City leaders have worked months on the tow ordinance they passed on Sept. 11.
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