North Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would protect drivers from predatory booting and towing practices.
House Bill 1024 (Nonconsensual Booting and Towing Reform) was introduced last month by Rep. Laura Budd. On Wednesday, the bill received bipartisan support to move forward to the Appropriations, Finance, and House Rules committees.
It protects not just consumers and North Carolinians, but also those engaged in small business and interstate commerce with semis and towing and recovery businesses as well.
The bill calls for the establishment of a Towing and Recovery Commission within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
The Towing and Recovery Commission would be responsible for establishing maximum fees that nonconsensual towing companies can charge for booting, towing, storage, and the handling of commercial cargo.
The Commission would also be in charge of issuing permits to nonconsensual towing companies. The permits would need to be renewed annually.
Additionally, the bill calls for the creation of a website that allows vehicle owners to see the location to which the vehicle was towed, the hours of operation of the location to which the vehicle was towed, the phone number of the nonconsensual towing business, and the amount the person must pay to retrieve the vehicle.
Several other states have recently passed similar legislation to crack down on predatory towers, including Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee.