Afterwards five years of local news (mostly The Inquirer, tbh), two potential class action lawsuits lawsuits (somehow it still continues) and an infamous one section On ‘The Daily Show’ (sometimes funny), Philadelphia City Council finally managed to solve the city’s “politeness” problem.

Well, they will investigate. At some point in the future. Hopefully before your car is lost.

Look! resolution No. 240989.

The resolution recently passed by the City Council authorizes the Streets and Services Committee to “hold hearings to investigate the practice of ‘courtesy withdrawal’ by public officials.” Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Parking Authorityand private towing companies.”

“Philadelphia drivers are frustrated by the bureaucratic nightmare of getting their vehicles back, with some viewing courtesy towing as little more than a money-making scheme,” the resolution reads.

Trial dates have not yet been set.

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Courtesy towing — officially called “relocation towing” — used to describe the city’s dysfunctional process of moving vehicles parked in legal areas that later become temporary no-parking zones due to special events, utilities, construction, weather or similar reasons It’s a euphemism for Philly. other reasons.

For example, if your car is towed by the parking authority or police to clear a parade route, your chances of finding it within a reasonable amount of time are pretty good; Assuming law enforcement recorded the new location as they were supposed to. .

However private companies often they were hired to pick up carsand they don’t always communicate the new location to the police. Cars can be moved around the corner or left in another neighborhood entirely without any registration.

People search for cars for weeks and sometimes have to report cars stolen. cause your own problems.

Some cars are towed as a courtesy and never seen again.

The typical “nightmare” scenario mentioned in the City Council resolution is when a private towing company picks up a legally parked vehicle and drops it off in a scheduled or no-parking zone without a towing record. Then the parking authority arrives and begins ticketing it, then tows it to its impound lot and can finally begin the auction process.

” READ MORE: ‘No one is safe’: Philly officials refuse to address courtesy-towing issue as class-action lawsuits continue

That’s what happened to Gary Isaacs, who had to pay nearly $1,000 in fines and fees in 2021 to get his car back in 2021 after it was towed from a regular parking spot as a courtesy while he was on vacation. A towing company moved the vehicle to the loading zone and left it there without notifying police. Isaacs also appeared on an episode of “The Daily Show” that aired in September, he told The Inquirer at the time.

“It’s like you’re looking for a lost dog or something like that; you’re driving around looking for your car,” Isaacs said. at the beginning of this year.

The municipality made the payment in 2022 $15,000 each for two victims to resolve their cases. But other victims continue to file lawsuits in federal court. Calling lawyers batch status On behalf of potentially thousands of victims, but a judge has yet to rule on the matter.

David Rudovsky, who represents some of the victims, said they are seeking financial compensation but also a court order that would force the city to keep track of where vehicles were towed, as it has in Chicago and other cities.

“That’s all we want,” Rudovsky said.

City officials have so far done little to systematically address the problem.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority has been using an online database that tracks the cars it has towed since 2020. However, the PPA is not responsible for most courtesy pulls.

Police Department is calling implement a similar system The Mayor used his $225,000 for the cars he towed. Cherelle L. Parker It was included in his first budget.

However, none of these systems can track where private towing companies are taking cars. For example, when a construction company receives a temporary no-parking permit from the municipality, it hires its own towing company to clear the street. The main cause of the problem seems to be situations such as: Drivers do not know the new location of their vehicles or who pulled it?

Council member Jeffery Young, who represents parts of North Philadelphia And Central Citylast month introduced a resolution calling for Council hearings on the courtesy withdrawal issue. Young, who was elected last year, was unavailable for comment Wednesday as the Council held its second session on plans to build a 76ers arena in Center City.

Young’s spokeswoman, Onyx Finney, said he called for the hearing after complaints from voters. He said he wants the public to have a clear idea of ​​the city’s courtesy towing policies.

“We are trying to ensure transparency in the process,” Finney said.