Owners of towed vehicles had to contact either the City or the State Highway Patrol to retrieve their cars. While the City of Raleigh footed the towing bill inside city limits, those stranded on state highways had to pay the towing company from $100 to $400 to get their cars back.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation contacts the State Highway Patrol to tow cars in order to clear the streets. The State Highway Patrol then contacts a rotating schedule of tow truck companies to remove the cars.
In order to retrieve their cars, residents had to call the State Highway Patrol to get the name of the towing company. According to the Attorney General’s office, the average price for towing should be $100 to $150. Some residents called the Attorney General’s office complaining about towing companies charged up to $400. The State Highway Patrol redirects all concerns to the Attorney General’s office.
Those towed by the city of Raleigh were much luckier, paying nothing. Although it was free for those towed, it’s not free for the city, which towed an estimated 250 to 300 cars at $100 each.
Public Affairs Director Jayne Kirkpatrick said the money comes from a storm contingency fund set up in the City’s budget.
