By admin 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson warned towing companies across the state that his office will aggressively pursue businesses accused of predatory towing practices.
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“If you own a towing company, I want your attention,” Jackson said. “If you don’t follow the rules, you will be punished.”
Jackson said a judgment obtained earlier this year by the North Carolina Department of Justice against Charlotte-based A1 Towing Solutions and its owner, David Jewel Satterfield, has given the state a legal framework to pursue similar cases.
“If you’re a towing company that follows the rules, you’re good to go,” Jackson said. “But if you’re making a buck by breaking the law, we’ve got a new playbook for going after you, and we will.”
The judgment, initially announced in February, stemmed from allegations that Satterfield and his companies targeted vehicles owned by African Americans, operated primarily in majority-Black neighborhoods in Charlotte, illegally booted and towed vehicles, and charged drivers thousands of dollars to recover their vehicles, with fees in some cases exceeding $4,000.
“As the attorney general for North Carolina, I can assure you, I’m not putting up with any of that,” Jackson said.
Under the consent judgment, Satterfield must provide $30,000 in restitution to affected consumers and will face additional penalties if he violates the court order.
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Among those hoping for stronger enforcement is Charlotte resident Ken Koontz, who said he was the victim of predatory towing at a Bojangles restaurant in South End. Queen City News first reported on Koontz’s claims in February.
Koontz said after the incident, corporate representatives from Bojangles told him that the restaurant did not have a relationship with the towing company that removed his vehicle. However, the towing company later told Queen City News that it had been hired directly by the restaurant’s general manager.
“It’s unfair, and it’s wrong,” Koontz said. “Bojangles won’t even return the call because, as they say, we just want to put this behind us.”
Koontz said he has filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office and hopes the state will take action against companies accused of predatory towing. Koontz believes a legislative remedy is needed to create consequences.
“Everybody can’t go through the court process,” Koontz said. “You need some teeth in the law that restricts what these people can and can’t do.”
A renewed effort to impose additional state oversight on the towing industry stalled this year in the General Assembly. A bill in the North Carolina House that would have created a statewide towing commission with authority to investigate complaints of predatory towing and regulate tow truck permits did not advance during the short legislative session.
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