Aurora to debate rules for towing

Fresh off approving the licensing of hotels and motels throughout the city, Aurora aldermen are now preparing to regulate towing companies who remove vehicles from public property.

According to police, the $125 annual license will allow them to better help owners of towed cars locate their vehicles.

It will also allow them to fine towing companies for participating in the process of baiting, leaving a dummy car in a lot to encourage others to park there, and other perceived predatory actions including towing a bunch of cars to the street to clear them from a lot as quickly as possible, to maximize profits in a given time period.

Officer Ted Hunt told alderman Tuesday that the Illinois Commerce Commission typically responds to such complaints but now have limited staffing resulting in citizen complaints occasionally not being followed-up on.

"They have to make notification to us 30 minutes before and after taking a car and then there's no more reporting of a stolen car that was just towed, there's no more towing it and leaving it to get another car," said Chief Gregory S. Thomas.

"So all those little things that they do that aren't appropriate, we can enforce."

If approved, towing companies would have to maintain storage lots not more than five miles outside the city limits, and be open two hours after the car is towed and for a consecutive period of four hours on the next business day to make towed cars available to their owners.

As proposed, fines for violating the ordinance could range from $250 and escalate to $2,500 for continuous offenses.

Thomas said more egregious acts like "baiting" or "stacking" could result in companies being fined as much as $2,500 for the first offense.

The city council will discuss and vote on the proposal at Tuesday's council meeting.