Obernolte’s office advised motorists who believe they’ve been the victim of price gouging by tow truck drivers during or after the North Fire to call the California Highway Patrol’s Inland Division at (909) 806-2486 or his office at (760) 244-5277 and file a report.
As shocking as the images of vehicles on fire in the Cajon Pass last weekend were, what awaited some motorists who were forced to abandon their vehicles before flames reached them shocked them even more: Towing fees in the thousands of dollars.
After angry motorists lashed out over the weekend, local leaders this week did too, looking to crack down on “bandit” tow services that tried to profit off the calamity.
“A disaster like the North Fire presents an opportunity for communities to come together and demonstrate compassion and selflessness,” Rep. Paul Cook, R-Apple Valley, said Tuesday in a statement.
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“Unfortunately, it seems some tow companies took the opposite approach by engaging in price-gouging of motorists whose vehicles had to be removed from Interstate 15. Motorists who had to abandon their vehicles found they were being charged more than $200 an hour by the towing companies that moved the vehicles off the freeway.
The fire — which consumed 4,250 acres in the Pass and Baldy Mesa area — was 100 percent contained as of Tuesday, U.S. Forest Service officials said. No one was injured, but the flames that crossed over the southbound lanes of the road on Friday damaged 10 vehicles and destroyed 20 more. In the nearby community of Baldy Mesa, officials say seven homes, 16 other buildings and 44 vehicles were destroyed.
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The fire began at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, a time when traffic in the Cajon Pass can slow to a crawl even under normal circumstances, as High Desert commuters return home for the weekend and Angelenos head to Las Vegas for the weekend.
The road was reopened, but it wasn’t long before complaints about the high towing fees began to spread on social media:
“The family my brother saved yesterday is having to pay well over $2,600 to get her car out and every hour she waits, the more it goes up,” High Desert resident Michelle Sepulveda posted to Facebook. “This is not fair to anyone that had no choice but to leave their car. This is injustice!”
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Cook responded to constituents complaining over the high prices via Twitter, advising them to call his Apple Valley district office for help.
Assemblyman Jay Obernalte, R-Hesperia, echoed that point on Tuesday, adding that the CHP has assured him they will investigate every claim.
“The California Highway Patrol requires contracted tow truck operators to sign a service agreement, which states that the rates they charge must be commercially reasonable and based on the market rate for their services,” he said Tuesday in a statement. “Many of the bills from motorists who were forced to abandon their cars on the 15 Freeway seem to exceed this amount. The CHP is proactively working to investigate the claims of motorists who were affected by price gouging, and they have assured my office they will investigate and seek resolution for every claim.”
He said there could be consequences for towing companies who violated their contracts with the CHP.
“I am also exploring possible legislation regarding the rates authorized for tow truck operators who contract with the California Highway Patrol to prevent this from recurring in the future,” he said. “Government regulation is not something I take lightly, so I am diligently investigating the facts of the situation before determining the best solution. Whether the fix is accomplished through legislation or enforcing requirement on agencies to ensure compliance with existing law, I am working to ensure this situation does not happen again.”
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He noted that a bill working its way through the state Legislature — AB1222 — would increase penalties on “bandit tow trucks.”
Some tow truck companies were the targets of allegations of unfair pricing. Others provided their services for free.
Richard Monroy, the manager of Gonzales Tow in Victorville, released a statement Sunday saying, “Our company does not operate on people’s hopelessness, and any illegal activity or overcharging,” he said. “We understand the public’s concerns and decided we will not be a tow company who will profit from the obvious situation.”
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Gloria Chairez, who owns AZX Auto Transport in Surprise, Ariz., was glad to see efforts to crack down. She was called on to volunteer her 18-wheeler to move vehicles, and she did it, paying her own expenses for gas, blown-out tires and a burned-out hose.
“I’m absolutely elated,” she said of representatives looking to crack down.
The rates were unreasonable, she said, adding that regulations on tow services taking advantage of people in chaotic and helpless situations are needed.
“I have no business telling people how to run their company,” she said. “But the fact of the matter is, we were in a state of emergency in our community. This is not the time to take advantage of these people.”
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