Wrecker Bill Sends Shock Waves

HOUSTON COUNTY:   This past Saturday a man from Florida was traveling to work in Dothan. He had taken some medication and sleep medicine.

With only two hours of sleep, he took the drive from Fountain Florida to work in Dothan. He side swipped a semi in Cottondale. Complaints to the Houston County Sheriff Department caused deputies to look out for him. He was located and stopped on 231 South, just south of Cowboys's.

After scene investigation deputies arrested the man for DUI. Not alcohol but medications. They called a wrecker to tow the vehicle. That wrecker was Southeastern Towing, LLC.

From where the vehicle was on 231 South to Southeastern Towing on Cottonwood Road is exaclty 3 miles.

We were on the scene Saturday and posted the article at 8:36 AM. At that time the wrecker had not been called to the scene. After we left the wrecker was called.

Click here for Saturday's article.

The man was booked into the Houston County Jail. The time of booking was 9:04 AM. He was released from the Houston County Jail at 2:04 PM.

After his release he called Southeast Towing to get his vehicle. He was informed the fee for the tow was $ 418.75. Cash was required.

Wrecker's Have Become A Nightmare

The wrecker rotation creeps it's head up all along. Problems with wrecker fee's and rotation services has caused law enforcement issues.

This particular call was a request of Houston County Sheriff Department. Sheriff Hughes advised that he would have a deputy look into the fee's. Sheriff Hughes said he expects " reasonable" fees to be charged and will not tolerate excessive charges.

In the City of Dothan, Sgt. Todd David is cracking down on wrecker fees. Beginning January 1 new rules will be implemented. Wrecker bills are $ 150.00. The services can charge some additional fees if services are required. The wrecker services can not charge storage fees for the first 5 days. Some services currently charge $ 25.00 per day storage.

If the law enforcement orders the vehicle held for further investigations, wrecker services can not charge for the first 12 days.

New wrecker services must be in business for a period of one year before allowed on City of Dothan rotation.

Some Services Do Not Even have Wreckers But Are On Rotation

Some wrecker services have closed but continued on rotation. The business has no wrecker to operate. They contract the services to another wrecker service for tow services.

XYZ Wrecker Service has a business license. They were on rotation and closed but kept their business license up. So they contract with ABC Wrecker to handle their tows during the two week rotation.

Some wrecker business have multiple business entities at the same location to get more weeks on rotation.

Practices that Sgt. Todd David is clamping down on.

Either wrecker businesses run the City or the City manages them. In return, the consumer pays only a reasonable profit.