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The 60th episode of towing's exclusive comic serial, the Adventures of the American Towman, appears in the upcoming April issue.
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Towers Address Towing Fee
Numerous wrecker companies have addressed the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board about a proposed fee cap for towing a vehicle from private property without the owner’s consent. Amid rumors that the fee might be set as low as $75 or $85, operators urged the board to keep it in line with the fees authorized in the city code for towing cars involved in an accident. Those fees start at $125 for day time and $135 for night time.
Operators representing S & H Towing, Caines Towing, TowCo, All About Towing, and Lucky’s Towing spoke to the board. The consensus was they agreed a fee cap may be necessary, but the city should be reasonable when setting the fee.
Most operators said they have had guns and knives pulled on them while performing a non-consent tow. Death threats are common, they said. For this reason, the operators hire security to assist with the tow. Having to pay two men (driver and security) and having to use a dolly and/or winching, the operators say they now charge $185 to $250 for a non-consent tow.
Several board members said they have received complaints and copies of non-consent tows as high as $400. Officer John Collins said he has a picture of a sign placed by a towing company that reads, “$25 Extra Charge for Cussing.”
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Jeffrey Kramer, 50, owner of Kramer’s Auto Repair & Towing was murdered in his home along with his wife, Lori, and 20 year old son, Michael. Police believe the act was targeted and premeditated. The killings were preceded by something crashing through the front window of their Darien, Illinois house at 3 a.m. Wednesday, March 3rd. Another son and daughter escaped during the acts of violence along with a friend visiting the home.
Jeffrey Kramer owned Kramer's Auto Repair & Towing in Cicero, which he took over from his father, who started the business, employees said. They said Kramer was a diehard White Sox and Bears fan. They described him as "a good guy" who kept them employed despite the recession. "The guy gave me a chance," one employee said.
Fabian Sanchez owns Fabian's Auto Repair next door. He bought the property from Kramer's father. Of Jeffrey Kramer, Sanchez said: "I've known him almost 16 years. He was a nice man. We talked every day. He would say, 'Amigo, buenas tardes.' '' Source: suntimes.com
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I saw this item in the news recently and it stuck out because it was a piece of good news about a tower’s act. It wasn’t much, but it was like a diamond in the rough of news that is continually reporting alleged bad behavior by tow operators. The father of a motorist had written his local newspaper. “I would like to give some praise to Gary from Woody's Towing, who helped my daughter on the highway (Interstate) 69 on New Year's Day when she had a flat tire. He braved the bitter cold to fix the flat but ended up having to tow the car to Fort Wayne. Kudos." So AT salutes Gary from Woody’s Towing of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
- Steve Calitri
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A tow operator had his right leg severed when he was hit by a car. David Lewis, 50, was driving south on Highway 70 in Marysville, Calif. and stopped to assist a car that ran out of gas. Lewis recalls parking in front of the stalled car, a Dodge Durango. He was speaking with its driver when a 1989 Honda struck him and the left side of the Dodge.
Lewis is a tow operator for Sanchez Towing of Yuba City. Lewis is reported to have lost his leg above the knee. The leg was recovered at the scene, but according to news reports
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from the Contra Costa Times, doctors would not be able to reattach it.
After the collision, the Honda reportedly spun across the highway, struck the center divider wall, and came to rest in the left lane. Its driver was not injured, the CHP said. Because the stalled vehicle was in a lane and not on the shoulder, officials said Letcher was not in violation of a new California law which requires drivers to move over a lane, if possible, and slow down when they approach any emergency vehicle flashing overhead lights.
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