This article was prepared for the local propublica reporting network in partnership with Mirror Connecticut. Sign up for sending To get our stories in the mailbox every week.
The Senate Connecticut on Friday was mostly a significant reform in the state’s towns for the decades, stated that legislators will help to protect drivers from predatory towing.
House bill 7162 The overhaul of the state -of -the As state -owned tugs advocate for towing companies at the expense of drivers. It takes a few steps to make it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier to get cars after towing.
The bill that passed the House of Representatives Last week, with extensive two-party support and a small discussion, 33-3 voting sailed through the Senate.
“This reform that provides transparency, it provides justice and accountability, but all this without overcoming the essential work that ethical and professional towing operators every day for us, keeping our roads and our properties,” said the co-chairman of the Transport Committee Christine, D-Guilford. “We have learned over the years, and especially over the last year, some of the investigations, some particularly outrageous circumstances.”
The press -secretary of the governor Ned Lamont said the governor plans to sign the bill to the law.
Senator -Republican Tony Khvang, who ranks the transport committee, also advocated the bill. The bill received about half an hour of discussions before the passage, and there were no comments in the opposition.
Khvang, representing the Ferfield, said the bill causes the right balance between the interests of the towers and consumers.
“I want to admit that in our press there was an important part to discover transparency and some bad actions, and I think we are considering some of these issues in this bill,” said Hwang. “We have taken steps to ensure that there is a proper process, and what has been identified in the criminal case, I suppose, should never happen again to undermine the trust we must have in this process.”
Connecticut’s law allows the company to start the process of selling vehicles in only 15 days. CT Mirror and Propublica found it one of the shortest windows in the country, and that the law has particularly influenced people with low income. Reporters talked to the people who stated that the towing companies demanded from their payment or did not allow them to receive personal belongings from their vehicles. Many could not afford to return their towed vehicles and lose transport or jobs from this.
After weeks of negotiations, lawmakers said they had compromised with tow. Two bills have been combined to include massive reforms in the towing procedure from private ownership and increasing rates for the highway that usually perform car accidents.
The bill that accepted and entered into force on October 1 requires a towing campaigns to accept credit cards and prevents them from hauling vehicles only with a -parking resolution or registration. Cars cannot be hauling with private property without notice unless they cover traffic, fire hydrants or parked in an accessible place.
According to the bill, towing companies can still start the process of sale of vehicles worth $ 1500 and less in 15 days, but now they must take more steps to give the owner the opportunity to require a vehicle. The Department of Automobile vehicles would have to check if the driver had filed a complaint against the towing before approving the sale, and the tower must send a message before selling a registered owner and a postponement through a certified mail receipts.
Actual sale could not pass up to 30 days after the towing.
The bill also requires the towers to make at least two photos before they tow the vehicle – one of the violations that have caused towing and another damage to the car. Cohen said it would help determine whether the vehicles have no details before towing seemingly nod to the history of information organizations about DMV employee, which the investigators were considered by towing the company for towing underestimating vehicles and sell them for thousands of profits. (The employee denied that he did something bad, and the agency eventually took no action in this case.)
The bill also creates a working group to study how to cost the sales of towed vehicles. The state law requires towing companies that retain profits in the decree during the year when the vehicle owner declares them and then transfer the money to the state. But CT Mirror and PROPUBLICA found DMV never set the system For this process.
In addition, he urges DMV to work with the Attorney General to develop a consumer bill for towing.
The towing companies should be available in a few hours and on weekends to allow people to receive their vehicles or personal property. In a story published this month, CT Mirror and Propublica reported it Companies towing trucks sometimes hold on to people’s things press them to pay the towing fee.
According to the new law, the drivers will be allowed to get their belongings from their vehicles, even if they have not paid the tow. Currently, state rules allow owners of vehicles to get only “personal property, which is important for the health and well -being of any person.”
Cohen has listed many issues outlined in news reporting as “one of the worst abuses of predatory binding practice”.
Timothy Wiebert, President of the Connecticut towing and restoration specialists, said the industry initially opposed the bill because the towers believed that it would prevent their ability to tow and clean the traffic. He also said that the towers were insufficiently involved in the original project. But they worked with the legislators on the bill for a few weeks, and this week he made a statement in support.
“Connecticut people deserve safety, accountability and transparency when their machines are towed, and the people who work in the conecticut companies, who risk make our lives to make our roads safe every day,” said Wiebert. “We all need clear, simple rules.”
DMV commissioner Tony Guerrera praised the House and the Senate.
“DMV fully supports this initiative because it not only improves the foundation for fair and fair implementation of tow laws, but also gives a clear way for our agency to promote these efforts,” Guerrer said.
Cohen said the bill was aimed at “remedy the broken process” and that the legislators worked on some aspects of it before the bill was adopted.
News about the passage of the bill brought a relief to Melissan Anderson, which was presented in the mirrors CT and Propublica after its machine was rebuilt and sold from Hamden’s apartment with a parking lot.
The bill requires a 72-hour exquisite period before the car can be rebuilt for a sticker’s validity to allow people to get a new time.
“I’m glad we have changed,” Anderson said. “It will help many people.”
The next bill goes to the Lamont table.
“The governor praises the entire work that has entered this legislation, which provides great protection for the public and their vehicles,” said Lamont Rob Blanzhard’s press secretary in a text message. “He plans to sign the legislation as soon as he reaches his desk.”
