Portland parkers may have new reason to think twice about risking a tow
Photo / William Hall
The towing fee required to retrieve a car that's been towed could increase significantly under a proposed ordinance change, to be considered by the Portland City Council.
In what would be the first increase since 2017, Portland parking scofflaws could soon have to shell out more cash to get their cars back when they’re towed.
The City Council on Monday is due to decide whether to hike the mandatory fees drivers pay towing companies to release vehicles that are impounded or are transported following an accident. The proposal comes after the city-contracted businesses have requested higher fees for years.
Under the new fee structure, the price for towing a vehicle involved in an accident would go from $125 to $150, and the fee after a non-accident tow would increase from $100 to $135. For a vehicle with dual tires on the rear axle — such as many commercial trucks — the fee would increase by nearly one-third, from $105 to $150.
The towing fee required to release a vehicle with a trailer would more than double, from $130 to $270. Other fees would go up too, including prices for storage of towed vehicles and even what tow operators charge when they shovel around a vehicle during a snow emergency.
In a memo, city officials said the bump for tow operators is overdue. The last increase was in November 2017.
“Tow companies are private companies providing a service to the City of Portland, and periodically require a fee increase due to increased cost of business,” wrote Mike Murray, acting director of the Portland Public Works Division.
City staff conducted a survey of tow fees in other Maine municipalities, and results showed that Portland’s fees were generally in line with those of eight other communities. South Portland, for example, currently charges $100 for non-accident tows and $125 for those involving an accident.
The proposed ordinance change was unanimously recommended by the Portland City Council’s Sustainability and Transportation Committee on June 8, and had a first reading before the council on July 11. A five-vote majority of the council’s nine members is required for passage, and public comment will be taken at the Monday meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
More information can be found here.
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