Towing squabbles in minneapolis

[mantazz]

Hey
Some time ago my older (1978) stang was towed, from a space that was contracted to me for parking. My investigation through the courts on the towing company that did this to me led me to some interesting finds, particularly that this company may have been operating in violation of several minneapolis ordinances regarding towing and impounding, for quite some time. I am looking to see if anyone else has been towed recently by Gopher Towing, and if they have the slips from the towing company. I have been told that my case against them could be made much stronger if I could find others who have found the same problems, and then organize a class action lawsuit. I don't much like lawyers, but I really don't like companies that live by stealing (my) cars. If anyone has anything, please let me know.

[SVT5LITER]

Sorry to hear that. Another reason I'd never live close to the city in Mpls.

[FiveO]

Towing in Mpls.....its a racket.

I'd help if I could.

Good luck though.

[mantazz]

Well, at the time I was living in minneapolis because I was attending the univesity. Now I live in minneapolis because I work for the university. In the meantime, I'm trying to find a job in canada ... don't get me started on HMOs.

[SVT5LITER]

In the meantime, I'm trying to find a job in canada ...

Beauty eh?! You could be a beer tester! :unf:

[Sweet35th]

I can tell you I have worked on several Gopher Towing vehicles. If you want to stick it to them. Contact the state patrol and tell them you have some concerns about the safety of thier vehicles operations, due to visible signs of repair needed.

[JPD0244]

I can see it now, maroon Chevy Astro or Cilverado sitting outside Gopher Towing stopping every tow truck that pulls out. Hee hee.

[lazyike]

If they towed your car from your space without your permission then they stole it right. Report it stolen, or did they have a reason to tow it?

[mantazz]

I tried reporting it stolen... thats where it got even more frustrating. When a towing company tows a car, they have to report it to the police. The report goes straight to the impound lot, where it is listed as impounded. So no matter how hard you try, you cannot report a towed car as stolen. Though it probably helps that gopher is one of the first that get called when the minneapolis cops want something towed...

I do like the idea of reporting their trucks as being in disrepair. I don't have any way to prove it, though. And they have a license to do mechanical work, too, so they could probably weasel out of that as well.

[jenkemfr]

heres some towing info for you ,there not regulated through the state our federal goverment,nice bit of legislation they pushed through.so they basically have a liscense to steal

[lazyike]

Was the impound lot able to tell you why the car was impounded?

Also who made the decision to tow the car was it The Police or the towing company.

Who do you owe the impound fee and towing fee too? The towing company or the city?

Lastly is it the towing companys impound or the citys impound?

Im just trying to get all the facts because I live out in the sticks and owr towing companys cannot tow a car without a tow slip from us or a signed wavier from the owner.

[93sc]

heres some towing info for you ,there not regulated through the state our federal goverment,nice bit of legislation they pushed through.so they basically have a liscense to steal

True, but he is talking about city ordinances. I'm pretty sure they have to have a license for towing within the city.

[Dave90GT]

I had my personal measure of revenge against Gopher Towing. PM me for info.

Dave

[mantazz]

heres some towing info for you ,there not regulated through the state our federal goverment,nice bit of legislation they pushed through.so they basically have a liscense to steal

That's partially true. However, the city of Minneapolis does have ordinances on the books regarding impounding and towing vehicles. Amongst them are the owner's right to inspect the vehicle BEFORE paying, and the requirement of a legible signature from the authorizing agent for the tow. I point these out specifically because these were both very blatantly violated by gopher. And since this all happened in the city of minneapolis, the rules and regulations of minneapolis certainly should apply.

[Sweet35th]

I do like the idea of reporting their trucks as being in disrepair. I don't have any way to prove it, though. And they have a license to do mechanical work, too, so they could probably weasel out of that as well.

heres some towing info for you ,there not regulated through the state our federal goverment,nice bit of legislation they pushed through.so they basically have a liscense to steal

Actualy Tow companies if operating vehicles with over 26,000lbs GVW intra state (which doesnt happen alot) or only 10,000 interstate have to comply with minnesota and federal DOT requirements. Requiring anual DOT inspections, and they can be stopped and inspected at anytime for any reason by the state patrol.

You dont need any proof to call them on anything. Call the state patroll and say you saw a section of chain come of the back of one of thier wreckers (Pickup style tow truck with wheel lifts) on 35. This is an unsafe load securement, and they will be hammered quickly.

Tow truck companies are lucky because they usualy operate under the 26,000lbs GVW limits (thats pretty heavy) or because they rarely go out of state (10,000lb limit). But they still have to operate safe equipment. And gopher does not. One of thier vehicles burnt to the ground on broadway in Mpls (by 35w) after I failed it for a DOT inspection.

I work on alot of tow company vehicles, and alot of them tell me stories of working "outside" the law. If you have proof you can stick it to them hard.

You could easily walk up to thier company. Pace around the parking lot and take pictures of thier trucks. The tires, how much tread is left. Undernieth to see if they have bad oil or power stearing leaks. Make sure the chains and straps are secure. Every truck should have a fire extinguisher and warning triangles inside of it. Any truck with air brakes needs to be operated by a licensed operator. ect ect. You see any of these CLEARLY obvious issues. Take a picture. Youd have all the evidence you need to stick it to them HARD CORE. I can tell you that just because they can repair thier trucks, doesnt mean they dont get fined....Order of events is.

-Truck gets taken out of service till repairs are made, and reinspected by DOT inspector.
-Large fine is instated
-A red flag goes up for all state patroll for ANY vehicle from this company
-An audit can be required to determine if the company has been working outside of DOT requirements.

The city police do not involve themselfs in DOT affairs, so simply because they work with the MPLS police does not mean they are out of the water.