Texas licensing department to discuss car towing practices at apartment complexes

Concerns raised over car towing tied to web registration

An advisory board member says the TDLR is seeing an increase in cars towed tied to the online registration requirements. FOX 4 learned that many people were being towed for typos when they registered.

DALLAS - Technology usually makes our lives easier. But when it comes to parking at apartment complexes, many have found the online registration process makes them feel targeted by tow truck companies.

In a follow-up to a FOX 4 investigation, now the advisory board for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation plans to discuss the issue at its next meeting.

An advisory board member says the TDLR is seeing an increase in cars towed tied to the online registration requirements. And as FOX 4 first saw in our 2019 investigation, a lot of people were being towed for typos when they registered.

After Ronnie Lewis experienced how aggressive tow truck companies can be at a southern Dallas apartment complex, he says he knew he needed to speak out.

"It all started when I was visiting a friend at an apartment complex," he recalled. "I came back to get my car, and it was gone. I thought it was stolen."

Lewis parked in a spot labeled "future resident" after the apartment office was closed. He took a picture showing how all the visitor spaces in the complex were blocked by large trash bins.

"That was throughout the complex," he said.

With no signs warning Lewis could be towed, a judge ruled in his favor that the apartment complex owed him $156.

"It is a very tedious process. If you don't know the law and wonder, ‘Do I have to get an attorney?’ And the amount is not worth the fight," he said. "I had my money back. I was like, ‘Alright, I'll let this go.’ Then I came across your story and thought this is bigger than just me."

A FOX 4 investigation in 2019 found many people were getting towed after they tried to register their cars through online forms but inadvertently typed a wrong letter or number. Many of the people we spoke with lived in low-income apartment communities.

FOX 4 investigation uncovers alarming new trend in apartment towing practices

Lewis, who is a pharmaceutical legal analyst in Las Colinas, says he feels he has a duty to speak up for people who may not know their rights.

"The law is the same whether I am in El Paso, Oak Cliff, Las Colinas, but the treatment of people appears to differ," he said. "And that is why I have been digging into this because everyone should be treated fairly."

Lewis wants more state oversight of towing procedures. On Wednesday, he got the ball rolling with the TDLR Advisory Board.

"I am not asking vehicles not to be towed," he said. "I’m asking what TDLR can do to reduce the human error aspect and bring structure to the process."

Board member Ken Ulmer later recommended adding the topic to the board's next agenda.

"I think it is an issue we need to be discussing and prepared for," Ulmer said. "I know we are seeing a lot more towing based on these electronic visitor programs."

Helpful Links

I just got towed! What do I do next?
People who believe they were wrongly towed can file a complaint with TDLR: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/complaints/.
People can also request a hearing with a Justice of the Peace in the county where the tow occurred. Please note that the court hearing must be requested before the 14th day after the vehicle was removed and placed in a VSF. The court can charge you a fee for the hearing, which must be held within 21 calendar days of the court receiving your request. So it’s important to request that hearing before they file the complaint with TDLR first.