FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 12, 2018

Contact: Jason Stanford, 571-336-2147, DelALopez@house.virginia.gov

Lopez reaches agreement to stop mandatory towing fee increase in Northern Virginia

Richmond, Va. – Today, Delegate Alfonso Lopez reached an agreement with a Republican patron to amend his legislation – HB800 – which would have required localities in Northern Virginia to raise their towing rates to $150 for standard size vehicles, $250 for medium sized vehicles, and $500 for large vehicles. Instead, the new bill raises the statewide cap on towing charges to $150, but keeps the required charge in Northern Virginia at $135.

“I’m glad that we were able to reach an agreement that prevents my constituents in Arlington and Fairfax from automatically being charged between $150 to $500 when their vehicle is towed against their will,” said Delegate Lopez. “In some cases, that would have been more than three times the current allowable charge. Rather than dramatically increasing the amount that tow truck companies can charge unsuspecting Virginians, we should be working to address the practice of predatory towing in Northern Virginia.”

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