SUNRISE, Fla. – The city of Sunrise passed a new ordinance Wednesday night cracking down on tow truck companies and giving customers more options and more rights.
On Thanksgiving night and Black Friday, hundreds of vehicles were towed from parking lots around Sawgrass Mills mall in Sunrise, leaving shoppers stranded. Some of the lots were marked with "24-hour tow away" signs, and the tows were caught on surveillance camera.
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"We at the time did not see the sign," said Brianna Ruhe, who parked in an Applebee's restaurant parking lot. "We pulled in alongside a bunch of other cars."
Caravans of taxi cabs showed up, offering to take the drivers to their cars for a flat fare of $45 to All County Towing, a privately owned company 15 miles away in Fort Lauderdale.
"I thought it was a racket," Ruhe said. "You feel like you were taken."
The cars were taken to All County Towing's tow yard, where a sign posted read the company only accepted cash -- and didn't offer change. A long line of customers was forced to pay between $100 to $124 for their cars.
"When I saw with my own eyes, I was outraged," Sunrise Commissioner Sheila D. Alu said during a special meeting Wednesday night to vote on an amendment to a city ordinance governing towing.
Sunrise city commissioners and the mayor set out to better protect car owners and put a stop to what they call predatory towing. All County Towing denied it practices such methods.
"Our client followed the laws. Our client has not been cited or charged with anything," All County's attorney, Steven Rossi, told the commission before the unanimous vote to amend the ordinance.
"I believe it's an issue of public safety," Mayor Mike Ryan said.
Now, if you are towed in Sunrise, you have more payment options to get your car back, including cash with change provided, personal check and credit or debit card. Any towing company that doesn't abide by the ordinance faces up to $5,000 in fines, and employees can face up to 60 days in jail.
An investigation continues into how the tow trucks and taxis showed up at the same time that night.
Meanwhile, although Applebee's did not authorize the parking, the restaurant is reimbursing drivers who parked in the lot that night and spend $100 or more to get their cars out of the tow yard.