City Council approves ordinance aimed at cracking down on predatory towing
KMBC 9
[{'start': '1.001', 'end': '2.635', 'text': "DEGREE ASSAULT AND ARMED  CRIMINAL ACTION.  RIGHT NOW, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS  IN KANSAS CITY ARE CRACKING DOWN  ON A CRIME TREND KNOWN AS  PREDATORY TOWING.  THEY JUST PASSED A NEW RULE  ABOUT AN HOUR AGO.  KMBC NINE S DORISSA WHITE IS  THERE TO EXPLAIN THE NEW  ENFORCEMENT PLAN.  HI MOTION PASSES.  THE NEW LEGISLATION IS AIMED AT  STRENGTHENING EXISTING LAWS TO  PROTECT DRIVERS FROM UNFAIR  TOWING PRACTICES.  EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF FEES THAT  ARE CHARGED.  SO WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO  ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS IS  TRANSPARENCY.  FAIRNESS AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO  TAKE SOME OF THE BURDEN OFF OF  WORKING CLASS PEOPLE WHEN IT  COMES TO HAVING THEIR VEHICLES  TOWED.  COUNCIL MEMBER DARRELL CURLS,  WHO CREATED THIS ORDINANCE, SAYS  THE MOVOVE IS ABOUT FAIRNESS AND  TRANSPARENCY, SPECIFICALLY FOR  VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE  BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY  AFFECTED.  I HEAR ALL KIND OF HORROR  STORIES ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FEES  THAT THEY INCUR WHEN THEY DO  HAVE THEIR VEHICLES TOWED.  THE HARDSHIP THAT IT TAKES IN  ORDER TO GET IT BACK.  THE BILL ALSO CREATES A TOWED  VEHICLE OWNER BILL OF RIGHTS AND  LAUNCHES AN ONLINE PLATFORM TO  REPORT ILLEGAL TOWS.  THE MAYOR ACKNOWLEDGES PAST  MISTAKES FROM THE CITY, BUT  HOPES THIS ORDINANCE CORRECTS  THEM.  I MEAN, HERE'S THE PROBLEM WE  WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING BEFORE.  AND SO IN KANSAS CITY, AND I WAS  ONE OF THEM YEARSRS AGO, MANY  PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED IT WOULD  JUST SAY, I GUESS I'M GOING TO  PAY HIM WHATEVER.  WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS, MORE THAN  ANYTHING, A CLEAR PROCESS, A  CLEAR PATHWAY TO ENFORCEMENT, A  PLACE PEOPLE CAN CALL 311 TO  MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING BETTER  REPORTING IN KANSAS CITY.  DORISSA WHITE KMBC NINE NEWS TOW  COMPANIES WHO VIOLATE THE RULE  COULD BE FINED AS MUCH"}]