Flickr user photo.anger
Safeguard or unnecessary hinderance? Depends on who you ask.
Following in the wake of the Christmas Eve shooting of a Bluffton man whose car was booted by a controversial towing company, new rules and regulations are coalescing for all towing in Beaufort County.
On Monday, May 9, those rules took a big step towards reality when Beaufort County Council gave a first reading approval.
And while those rules may yet change much or never be approved at all, it seemed like a good time to pass along what they were.
You can read the full proposed ordinance here, or keep reading below for some highlights.
- Violations of the ordinance are punishable by a $100 fine or 30 days in jail.
- Fee caps for ordinary towing (the ordinance outlines specific situations where they can be exceeded). Carrier $200; light-medium wrecker $200; no-tow (arrival only) $75; no-tow (attached) $100; tow exceeding one hour $125 per hour; storage (per day, after first 24 hours) $40.
- Tow operators must allow personal items to be removed from vehicles.
- Booting is forbidden.
- Property owner associations will not be allowed to have special rules to their private roads if the roads are enforced by public law enforcement.
- Restrictions on who can tow private vehicles and if a property owner and tow company have an agreement to tow vehicles, and written approval must be obtained before towing.
We'll be sure to keep you posted.
- If the debate on new towing rules is new to you, get the backstory here.