A towing company that got the boot in Sunrise after targeting cars at Sawgrass Mills mall has been ordered to pay nearly $500,000 in fines.
And that’s a deal, considering the fine against All County Towing could have come to more than $1.4 million.
Any company caught making illegal tows in Sunrise can face fines has high as $15,000 for each incident. And in 2015, All County illegally towed 94 cars near Sawgrass Mills mall over the Thanksgiving holiday.
In a ruling last week, Broward Circuit Judge Keathan Frink ordered All County to pay $411,000, or $4,372.34 per tow. At the city’s request, he tacked on $41,498 in interest and $4,475 in legal fees, bringing the final tally to $457,520.
Chris Casale, owner of All County, referred questions to Levi Williams, his attorney. Williams could not be reached for comment despite two calls to his law firm and a third to his cell phone.
Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan says his city has zero tolerance when it comes to predatory towing.
“We will use every available tool to protect our residents, the employees who work in our city, our businesses and all those who come to Sunrise to enjoy all that Sunrise has to offer,” Ryan said.
Sunrise first cracked down on tow companies in 2011 after an even more extreme towing frenzy at Sawgrass Mills mall. That year, more than 350 cars were towed on Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Tourists and locals, surprised to return to an empty parking space, were outraged when tow companies told them had to pay cash to get their cars back. The tow companies refused to given them receipts or change.
Sunrise responded quickly, approving strict rules the very next month aimed at stopping predatory towing.
Now, tow companies operating in Sunrise are required to accept personal checks and credit cards, and must provide change to car owners who pay in cash.
If the owner returns before their car is connected to the tow truck, the company can’t tow the car and must reduce the tow charge by 50 percent.
In addition, tow companies need permission from the property owner for each tow and are required to notify the Sunrise Police Department within 30 minutes of towing a car.
All County’s drivers ran afoul of the city’s towing rules in November 2015, Sunrise officials say.
Following up on a tip, police discovered that All County illegally towed 94 cars from seven businesses near Sawgrass Mills mall. In the most blatant case, 27 cars were hauled away even after the property owner told All County not to tow them, police said.
Attorneys for All County argued the shoppers were “predatory parkers” and insisted no rules were broken. City commissioners were not swayed.
In January 2016, just two months after the towing incident, Sunrise yanked All County’s permit.
At the time, Commissioner Larry Sofield scolded the company for thumbing its nose at the city’s rules.
“I never want to see your company in my city again,” Sofield said.
All County was eligible to apply for a new permit in January 2018, but currently does not operate in Sunrise, city officials said.
Anyone who thinks their car was illegally towed in Sunrise can call the Sunrise Police Department at 954-746-3600 to file a report.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4554. Find her on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan.