Vehicle tow company operator appeals service suspension

MOUND CITY – Scott Lee with Miami Tow and Recovery met with the Linn County Commission on Monday, Aug. 21, to protest his company’s removal from the towing rotation in Linn County.

Lee said that his company had been removed from the rotation because he had allegedly towed a car out of the county after first towing the vehicle to the company’s building in La Cygne.

Lee said that the secondary tow of the car out of the county was at the customer’s request. He said that secondary tows happen all the time when cars are removed from the tow lot to body shops or repair shops.

Commissioner Jason Hightower asked Lee if he had a tow service in Linn County.

Lee said, “Yes, at 205 Market Street.”

The man told the commissioners that is where the car was towed as dispatch shows.

Lee said that the person he towed the car for was on vacation in Texas, did not want to cut his vacation short. He said the man was very frustrated that his son had wrecked the vehicle.

“We went to every extent possible to help this guy out,” said Lee.

Lee presented the commissioners with an invoice of the secondary tow process. He said that he took the car to his house free of charge to help the owner out by trying to get the vehicle started.

When the man returned from vacation, Lee said, went to Lee’s home and did $1,600 worth of damage to the front gate when he forced his way through.

Lee said that he believed it was an uninformed decision that forced his company off of the rotation.

“I was expecting a phone call from the attorney,” said Lee. He said he thought they would want his side of the story before removing him from the rotation.

“There are two sides to every story in life, and I don’t think my side was considered in the decision,” he said. “So my letter is requesting reconsideration based on factual evidence.”

Another complaint that was turned into the sheriff’s office was that the tow truck driver was wearing “Daisy Duke” shorts and did not know what she was doing.

Lee introduced the driver and said that she did not want to come down here because of the insult.

He said that, according to the dash cam on his truck, she had the car removed from the barbed wire, dragged across the road, and on the truck in 21 minutes after arriving at the call.

Lee questioned whether the fireman who filed the complaint had connections with another towing company. He also said that he would like to see the consequences for the fireman who insulted the female tow truck driver. He said he stopped the woman from making a formal complaint about fireman and suing the county.

Lee said, “I feel my first amendment right was violated by the attorney not calling to hear my side of the story. That’s why I went to all the trouble today just so I could be heard and heard correctly.”

Lee said he would like to be reconsidered and added back on the rotation.

Commissioners did not act on his request.

Linn County Sheriff Kevin Friend said he receives complaints about towing companies and forwards them to the county commissioners for decisions on whether to suspend a company’s operation in the county.

He indicated that the secondary towing of a vehicle from Miami Tow’s La Cygne facility to his home shop in the Paola area was a major infraction of the county’s tow company regulations. He said that if the company’s suspension stands, the company owner can reapply for a permit in 12 months.