Illinois poised to enact law that will lay down consumer regulations for rogue towing companies
Correction: Towing legislation will not include a public database for tow companies.
On March 31, CBS 2 reported that the original bill proposed that private companies enter every towed vehicle into a state database to help drivers find their vehicles quicker and to avoid or eliminate excessive storage fees. That proposal was dropped from the final bill.
However, the bill on the governor's desk , which is a direct result of the CBS 2 investigators reporting on the issue, now requires a "tow rotation list."
Essentially, police agencies will call an approved list of tow companies whenever there's an accident. If a tow driver pulls up on the scene and wasn't requested by the owner of the car or officer, they will not be authorized to tow the vehicle
Proponents have been trying to get Chicago to move in this direction for years. What's not clear is how soon the city will have to get on board and develop the tow list when or if the governor signs this into law.
A revised version of the original story follows:
CHICAGO (CBS) -- New legislation awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker's signature will give drivers more protection from unscrupulous towing companies.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported Thursday night, one driver said the new legislation will eliminate the headache, the worry, and hopefully the confusion.
The new law also sets guidelines for those rogue tow companies.. Cars towed from an accident scene will be moved by companies on a pre-approved list.
Daniel Cohen had a run-in with one of those companies.
"It was a nightmare," he said. "I wouldn't wish it on nobody."
Cohen will never forget his car accident in 2019 in Chicago. While on the phone with his insurance company and taking to police, he recalled, "all of a sudden, a tow company pulled up."
The driver from Get It Towing Inc. gave Cohen a business card with the logos of auto insurance companies whose insurance they accepted.
"(They) said they were here to pick up the car, take it to its destination – and then in the process, it never reached its destination," Cohen said.
Instead, Cohen spent countless hours calling and looking for his car, and when he finally located it, there was new trouble.
Cohen: "It was a whole week before the individuals called me, and then tell me that I had to pay a ransom to get my car back."
Terry: "And that's how you feel? It was ransom?"
Cohen: "Yes, a ransom for my car."
The tow company slapped Cohen with an invoice not only for the two, but for a hefty fee for the storage. He said it was to the tune of close to $5,000.
For years, the CBS 2 Investigators have exposed how private tow companies would deliberately hold vehicles. We uncovered in six months how one tow company racked up $150,000 with just 54 invoices.
Cohen told CBS 2 Investigator Dorothy Tucker in September 2019, "These people are some scammers."
And after our investigations, lawmakers finally took action.
"Had [CBS 2] not even investigated it, it probably wouldn't even have been a big issue," Cohen said.
"It took a long time," Cohen said. "It's long overdue."
The bill passed the Illinois State Senate on Thursday. It is awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker's signature.