Newport News motorists should watch where they park their vehicles, as they will have to pay extra if towed.
The City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to increase the amount towing companies can charge car owners, with member John Eley voting against.
The council’s actions raise the maximum towing charge for light vehicles (up to 10,000 pounds) from $120 to $175, while the charge for mid-size vehicles (between 10,000 and 18,000 pounds) will rise from $175 to $225.
In the same vote, the council also increased the allowed storage charge for vehicles under 18,000 pounds from $30 to $40. There is no storage charge if the vehicle is reclaimed within 24 hours. Afterward, vehicles with a weight under 18,000 pounds will be charged $40 per storage day.
The council also increased the maximum cost for recovery and clean-up of an accident site from $75 to $125. They also allowed for an additional $25 towing fee for services on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
The council made the changes at the recommendation of the city’s towing advisory board. Chair Casey Jones noted that in September, Virginia Beach voted to increase fees to retrieve towed cars to $200 and storage fees to $60. She said what Newport News’ board recommended is “far less than that.” She said the advisory board consists of seven members: three representing the towing community, three representing the city and public safety, and a citizen member.
In 2022, the city council voted to increase towing charges for vehicles towed by the police department or at the department’s request. Jones clarified the towing charge amendment the council voted on Tuesday night pertained to towing enforcement on private property lots by a towing company — not police-requested towing. The towing charges would be placed on whoever wrongly parked, not the property owners who requested towing.
The new ordinance took effect immediately.
Eley said after the vote that he opposed the increase because he felt the existing fee is a “fair rate.”
He said a citizen recently expressed concerns to him about the high rates of towing and how she lost her car when she was unable to pay the towing fee. He said many people in the country — especially those in low-income areas — are currently having “a hard time” struggling with feeding their children and affording housing and that he did not want to add an additional burden.
“It’s just not the time to do it,” Eley said.
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
