As a native of our community in Los Angeles, I've seen the devastating impact that predatory towing has on Black families. These unfair setbacks make it harder for Black families to maintain stability, keep jobs, and move forward. Towing companies often charge exorbitant fees, create unnecessary barriers, and act with impunity, worsening the financial strain for already struggling families.

Research has shown that Black low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by predatory towing practices, which act as a systemic barrier to financial stability and upward mobility. By enforcing unfair towing practices, these companies are exacerbating inequality and perpetuating a cycle of poverty that is emotionally draining and economically crippling.

This isn’t enforcement. This is exploitation.

For many Black families who rely on a single vehicle, losing that car means missing work, losing income, scrambling for childcare, and falling behind on bills. One wrongful tow can undo months or even years of progress. These repeated setbacks make it harder to recover, harder to stabilize, and harder to move forward, reinforcing the false narrative that Black people “can’t get ahead." This is how people end up stuck not because they aren’t trying, but because the system keeps pulling their resources out from under them.

We need to address this pressing issue immediately by implementing realistic and fair solutions.

To end these unjust practices, we are demanding real, enforceable change:

 Firstly, we call for capping towing, storage, and gate-access fees statewide to prevent towing companies from exploiting those who can least afford it. Secondly, fees for viewing a vehicle or retrieving personal belongings should be prohibited to prevent further financial strain.

Furthermore, we propose requiring automatic customer compensation for wrongful tows, including a reasonable flat-rate payment for each day a vehicle is wrongfully held. To ensure accountability and transparency, public oversight and transparent complaint tracking systems must be established, holding towing companies accountable and deterring predatory practices.

Strict penalties should be enforced against repeat-offender towing companies to ensure compliance and integrity within the industry. We must also mandate photo documentation of all tows to guarantee accuracy and prevent wrongful actions.

These actionable steps are critical to stopping predatory towing practices and fostering equitable treatment for Black communities in Los Angeles and throughout California. Let’s stand together to dismantle this unjust system and promote fairness and justice.

Sign this petition today to demand change and protect our communities from predatory towing practices. Together, we can make a difference and bring about the just reforms needed to protect the most vulnerable among us.