Need a tow in State College? Why you could soon be on the hook for higher fees
For those unfortunate enough to need a towing service, rates for towing, storage and drop fees in State College are set to increase.
State College Borough Council voted unanimously Monday night to have borough staff draft an amendment to its Private/Public Towing Ordinance that would increase fees for non-accident and accident towing, overnight storage, drops and overnight releases. Council will vote on the amendment at a future meeting.
Assistant Borough Manager Tom King said the recommendation for increases came from a recent request from “approved borough towing companies” to increase various fees.
Fees for non-accident towing will go from $150 to $175 for cars less than three-quarters of a ton and from $155 to $175 for cars larger than three-quarters of a ton but less than 11,000 pounds. The drop fee — for owners or operators who demand their vehicle be dropped by a towing company before it leaves the original area — is increasing from $90 to $100. The storage fee for both crash and non-crash tows is rising from $40 to $45; the overnight release fee (between midnight and 6 a.m.) is increasing from $50 to $75; the fee for accident/crash base rate is increasing from $250 to $300, and the winching fee for one truck for the first 30 minutes is increasing from $85 to $100.
State College police Chief John Gardner said he met with local towers who asked the borough to consider the seven areas specified for fee changes.
“These fees are perfectly in line regionally as well as throughout the state,” he said.
Towing companies also told the borough that “their operating costs continue to go up with insurance, and replacement of equipment, and wages and raises they have to do,” he said.
Council President Evan Myers said some of the fee increases — particularly the overnight release fee — “seem to be quite a bit more than the inflationary rate generally when you look at the CPI (consumer price index).”
Cathy Tennis, of John Tennis Towing, said that the towing companies didn’t ask for fee increases in all areas, just seven specific ones that are costing towing companies more administrative fees.
“The reason for the overnight fee (increase) is because it is such an odd, different thing than you deal with all day long. Between midnight and 6 a.m., the people who want to pick their cars up, 90% of the time, they are not themselves, they’ve been out partying ... it’s a bigger concern for the company,” she said. “Basically we’re actually looking for more of a deterrent, where you don’t have one employee there at risk of there being a problem with somebody who just wants to fight and argue.”
Under the amended ordinance, towing companies would not charge the new storage fee of $45 per day until 24 hours from the initial tow had passed.
King noted the last time the borough updated fees for towing, storage and return of vehicles was September 2017. According to the ordinance, a towing license is required for any towing company engaged in the business of towing vehicles. Additionally, all towing companies — public or private — subject to the ordinance are performing duties at the request of the borough from highways, public rights-of-way or other public property in the borough.
On a separate note, King said he and borough Manager Tom Fountaine will bring a proposal concerning the practice of towing companies issuing parking tickets on private property in the borough.
“We do continue to have some real challenges with that practice,” he said.
This story was originally published October 23, 2019 at 7:12 AM.
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