Charlotte lawmakers press for predatory towing legislation

HERBERT L. WHITE | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charles Osborne, right, owner of Golden Cleaning Services in Charlotte, speaks in support of legislation to curb predatory towing practices at a July 30, 2026, news conference at the Government Center. State Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg) said she plans to introduce legislation in the next General Assembly. Yazan Humaideh, owner of SIP City, a victim of predatory towing, and state Sen. Caleb Theodros (D-Mecklenburg), along with Rep. Laura Budd were at the press conference.

Charles Osborne’s brush with predatory towing left him angry.

Osborne, owner of Golden Cleaning Services, said his pickup truck was towed from his Dilworth apartment complex when the leasing office issued him the wrong parking permit. He was charged $1,180 to recover the vehicle – which was towed less than 5 miles.

“I’m not saying every towing company's bad because I think if you park illegally somewhere, block a fire hydrant, or you’re not where you're supposed to be, and you’re not abiding by laws or ordinances, there should be consequences,” he told reporters Thursday at a press conference at the Government Center. “But the emotional damage that you have to go through when you’re doing the right thing, it borderline feels unfair, and you’re doing what you're supposed to. You’re paying a premium rent. You’re paying for a reserved spot, and I was charged $1,180 for someone's else mistake. I think it’s diabolical.”

Predatory towing happens across North Carolina as weak state rules allow operators to charge exorbitant fees with little risk of legal repercussion. But lawmakers aim to introduce legislation that establishes a statewide operator database, sets guidelines on pricing, arbitration to settle disputes and record tow and boot information. 

“This is about a small number of bad actors, and when they break the rules, almost nothing happens,” said state Sen. Caleb Theodros, who represents west Charlotte. “There are stories from Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville, and from small towns where there is only one operator and no recourse at all.”

Yazan Humaideh, owner of SIP City in Plaza Midwood, said he recently parked outside a private office on Central Avenue on business. When he returned, a boot was on his vehicle, and the tow company driver demanded $275.

When Humaideh protested and insisted he was legally parked, the driver became hostile and threatened to raise the price. When police arrived, Humaideh said an officer told him law enforcement didn’t have authority to intervene. 

“How did the tow truck companies get discomfortable to act the way they're acting right now?” Humaideh said. “I believe is the intimidation practices that have led to people just paying and not taking action or not speaking up, even afterwards. A lot of people don’t do anything about that afterwards. But the other part to that is, I remember during the situation, the guy kept threatening to raise the price, and this happened in front of the police.”

Rep. Laura Budd, who represents South Charlotte and Pineville, filed a bill last year that would cap towing fees and limit how far companies can move a vehicle. A new state commission would set price limits. Towing companies would also have to post signs, provide multiple forms of payment and log each tow in a statewide database. The bill was pulled from consideration but Budd, who plans to file an upgraded bill in the next session along with Reps. Carolyn Logan (D-Mecklenburg) and Carson Smith (R-Onslow), believes there’s enough bipartisan support in both chambers to pass legislation.

“It’s really sad when law enforcement shows up and says, ‘Yeah, the guy with the tow truck or the boots has more authority than we do,” Budd said. “But that is because of the court cases that have come down, which is what has made this so difficult, but that’s actually what’s generated this incredible political will. 

“The problem we’ve run into is that when you have zero balance in your General Assembly, in your legislature, and one party makes all the rules, you become the victim of horse trading, so no matter how good something is for the public, no matter how good it is for small business, economic development, and the like, it becomes the victim of, ‘well, I’ll give you this if you’ll give me that.’”

Said Theodros: “At a bare minimum, we should start with any kind of common sense legislation that both sides should agree on, and I do believe that the weather over in Raleigh is going to become a lot better, especially after November, and so we’re going to see a lot of political will on both sides of the aisle to pass any kind of common sense legislation around this.”

In addition to pushing lawmakers to act, Theodros is encouraging municipalities to do likewise. Charlotte City Council passed an ordinance capping tow fees in 2011, but the North Carolina Supreme Court struck it down in 2014 as local overreach. Osborne, who paid the $1,180 bill to recover his truck, said predatory towing is a hardship, especially for people of limited means.

“Families are struggling to put food on their tables, and then you have predatory practices with these towing companies,” he said. “That’s making it even harder. Those are the people that I feel sad for. That’s my community that I’m mourning with dealing with these types of situations.”

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