The North Carolina Attorney General has opened an investigation into towing companies accused of predatory booting and towing of truckers carrying essential supplies during the pandemic.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is currently investigating five separate complaints against tow truck companies accused of booting or towing commercial vehicles in the Charlotte area, according to local news outlet Fox 46.
According to one of the complaints, A 1 Towing Solutions towed a Y-Fly Express truck from a Home Depot parking lot location in spite of the fact that the truck owner said that he was given permission by a store manager to park in the lot because he was hauling a load of water for FEMA. The Y-Fly Express owner had to pay $4000 to get his truck back, the report states.
A 1 Towing Solutions said that they’ve done nothing wrong and they point to posted signs about parking.
Carolina’s Towing was also named in the Fox 46 report for booting and towing a C.R. England truck from a 7-Eleven lot after the truck’s check engine light come on — in spite of the fact that the store manager reportedly told the tow company that the truck was not parked illegally. It cost $5000 to get the truck back.
Booting trucks hauling emergency supplies is nothing new in Charlotte. Carolina’s Towing also came under scrutiny in the fall of 2018 after they reportedly booted a truck hauling hurricane relief supplies from Missouri to a location in Charlotte while the driver pulled over to check directions to the drop off location. The driver had to pay $3000 to get his truck back but this fee was eventually refunded after he contacted local news outlet NBC Charlotte.
Stein says that his office is on alert for scams and price gouging during the Coronavirus emergency. “I would urge any trucking company, or frankly any person if they’re being gouged because of this emergency, let my office know so that we can investigate it and enforce North Carolina’s anti-price gouging law,” Stein said.
You can go online to report scams or price gouging occurring in the state of North Carolina by clicking here.