North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a court order against A1 Towing in Charlotte. Jackson said his office had evidence of unauthorized towing, release fees above $4,000, double-booting, and racial targeting. The case matters because Jackson issued a wider warning to towing operators.
Jackson announced the completed case in a video addressing towing company owners.
In the video, Jackson warned towing companies that violations would bring punishment. He said A1 Towing agreed to a dozen requirements under the court order.
The company must repay tens of thousands of dollars to people Jackson said it mistreated. He said noncompliance would trigger an additional penalty exceeding $100,000.
Jackson said his office’s Civil Rights Unit won the case and structured the court order. He said the unit designed the order to establish precedent for similar cases.
Jackson said towing companies following the rules were “good to go.” He warned that his office would pursue companies profiting by breaking the law.
“We’ve got a new playbook for going after you, and we will,” Jackson said.
North Carolina Towing Crackdown Prompts Calls for Wider Enforcement
Public discussion turned to whether the approach should expand and whether the penalties went far enough.
One response urged, “Do Barnes towing next.” Another wrote, “Predatory practices have gone unchecked for far too long.”
A separate user focused on the financial harm: “Huge victory for working people. A surprise $4k towing bill has probably ruined a lot of lives.”
Another response stated, “Many tow companies are thieves and extortionists. This is great news.”
Others wanted criminal or licensing consequences. One wrote, “Now show me some prison sentences for extortion.”
A separate response asked, “I am still confused, why are they allowed to still operate a tow business?”
Jackson’s office did not say when the new approach would next be used in another towing case. For now, it remains to be seen whether the strategy will lead to broader changes in how disputed towing fees are handled across North Carolina.
