I honestly thought about buying a military vehicle, then starting a towing company out there a few years ago.
That way I could fish all day out on the island, wait for someone to get stuck and make a quick $1000 since I would have been out there fishing. It is all paid for by the persons insurance company when they get stuck.
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CORPUS CHRISTI — Four groups of anglers got an unwelcome surprise when they returned from fishing Saturday at Padre Island National Seashore. Their vehicles had been towed and the tow truck operator demanded $2,500 cash to release them.
“It was like, ‘Hand over your wallet,’ ” said Matt Yankee of Corpus Christi, whose vehicle remains impounded.
The trucks were not stuck in the sand, where they would become victims of shifting tides or loose sand. They were parked illegally because the Bird Island Boat Ramp lot was full when they arrived well before dawn.
“It’s not like we were blocking a fire hydrant or a hospital entrance,” said Randy Donato, a Houston-based lawyer and owner of a home in Port Aransas. He negotiated his payment to $1,400. “This needs to be stopped.”
Sanford Amey, owner of Sanford’s Wrecker Service, says he charged that much because he has expensive equipment and the charges reflect the difficulty of the job.
“Everybody wants to break the law, then they want to go cry to the media,” Amey said. “The park rangers will tell you the same thing.”
Amey said he charges by the pound.
The trucks he impounded Saturday were of different makes and weights, but the price was the same: $2,500. Asked about this, Amey responded:
“It could have been more, but I was giving them a deal.”
Within the city of Corpus Christi, where wrecker fees are limited, that same towing job would have cost about $115, according to Aaron Rios, who oversees tow truck operators for the Corpus Christi Police Department.
Amey is correct that he can charge whatever he wants. Cities and counties in Texas have the power to regulate maximum fees for non-consensual towing. Kleberg County, where most of the park is located, hasn’t done so. Amey has told the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation that he could charge as much as $20,000 to tow a vehicle. His rate filing says nothing about charging by the pound.
David Resendez, owner of Apollo Towing, also charges by the pound. He said if he had been called to remove the vehicles, the most he would have charged is about $700. That assumes the worst weather conditions and the heaviest truck being towed.
As far as the cost of Amey’s services reflecting the value of equipment?
Read more: http://www.caller.com/news/2009/may/27/fishermen-get-2500-tow-bills/
