MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee Highway Patrol is now assisting the Memphis Police Department with an investigation into A1’s Towing and Hauling as complaints against the Memphis-based company pile up.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said THP’s Criminal Investigations Unit is helping MPD look into A1’s practices. The department told ABC24 "The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Criminal Investigations Division is assisting the Memphis Police Department with this investigation."
Fenn Church, president and CEO of Church Transportation and Logistics, based in Birmingham, Alabama, is one of the recent people to file a complaint against A1 Towing with the city of Memphis.
Church alleges one of his drivers parked a tractor-trailer on a semi-truck lot in the 3400 Block of Lamar, near i-240 and it was booted while the driver was still inside
He says the fees added to the burden of a business Church says is already stressed.
“It is a struggle for every trucking company right now just to keep their doors open," Church said. "And then you got people like this preying and taking advantage.”
Church says A1’s employees told him he would have to pay a $272 dollar fee to have the boot removed but the company wouldn’t accept payment and then proceeded to tow the company's truck.
“A wrecker showed up and got in front of our truck and told our driver, no; you can’t pay for a boot to be removed now," Church recalled. "Now we’re going to tow your truck.”
Church says the cost totaled nearly $4,500 to get the 18-wheeler back.
The city of Memphis told AB24, that according to a city ordinance the maximum charge for a boot removal should not exceed $50 and a vehicle that’s booted cannot be towed unless the owner fails to contact the booting company within 24 hours and wreckers must accept checks, cash, or credit cards.
Also, if the owner or operator is present and removes the vehicle before it’s connected to the tow truck, the owner cannot be charged a fee.
“They’re [towing companies] welcomed people to our industry," Church said. "And then you got operators like A1 Towing and they give the towing industry a horrible name, horrible.”