New York Attorney General Letitia James has accused a Poughkeepsie towing company of cheating and harassing motorists with bogus fees and predatory tactics.
The state seeks to shut down Bobby’s Towing and Recovery and owner Robert Scores until they pay a $100,000 performance bond and correct illegal practices, in a petition filed June 6 in Dutchess Supreme Court.
Towing companies are hugely profitable and “woefully under regulated,” Cheryl J. Lee, an assistant attorney general, states in an affidavit, and unscrupulous operators are “financially victimizing the consuming public.”
“I’ve done nothing but see or hear all this sh-t for 50 years,” Scores, of LaGrangeville, replied in a brief telephone call. “At this time I have no comment … but when it comes times I will let you know what’s really going on.”
The attorney general says 16 people have complained about Bobby’s since 2013. The company “wrongfully obtained profits totaling $36,676,” the petition states, and there are likely more victims.
The attorney general accused Bobby’s of persistent patterns of abuse: patrolling for illegally parked cars even if not called; towing from private properties when not called; removing cars within minutes of arriving; towing even when the operator was present and willing to move the car or pay a reasonable fee; towing cars that were parked legally; charging excessive fees; falsifying tow receipts and encouraging the operators to file false insurance claims for reimbursement.
The alleged practices violate City of Poughkeepsie laws that require a 20 minute grace period before hooking up a car for towing; allow the operator to pay a $25 fee to disconnect a car from the tow truck, and limit the tow charge to $85 and the storage fee to $50 a day.
Scores also made rude, racist and derogatory comments, the petition states.
When Ebonee Nash said she would remove her car as Scores was hooking it up to his truck, “he called me a bitch and told me to get the f–k out of his way,” she states in an affidavit, “and even laid his hands on me and pushed me!”
Ryan Brooks said he had permission to park his car but would remove it, before Scores hooked it up to his truck. A police officer allegedly conveyed a threat by Scores that he would file a criminal charge against Brooks unless he paid $400, according to Brooks’ affidavit, and he paid $250 in “blackmail money.”
Junaid Iqbal said she had permission to park at a fast food restaurant on Fridays when she and her father prayed at a nearby mosque. One day their Jeep was gone when they returned. When they went to Bobby’s yard on Smith Street to get it back Scores allegedly demanded $500 to release it.
The attorney general also accused Scores and Bobby’s of preying on tenants of Canterbury Commons and Manchester Gardens outside of the city, where Poughkeepsie city laws do not apply.
Boris Yam, the property manager of both complexes, hired Bobby’s to exclusively tow vehicles from Manchester Gardens, the attorney general says, and gave Bobby’s “absolute power to tow vehicles … regardless of whether or not the tow of the vehicle was justified or authorized.”
Yam testified at an examination that the contract authorizes Scores to tow as many cars as he wanted.
The attorney general is asking the court to enjoin Scores and Bobby’s from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive and illegal practices ; require them to file a $100,000 performance bond that may be used to establish a restitution fund for defrauded consumers; reimburse vehicle owners and operators for damages, including lost wages; disgorge illegal profits; and pay penalties ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for each violation.
James is also asking for anyone else who believes they were wronged by Bobby’s to file an online complaint with the Poughkeepsie regional office or call 845-485-3900.
