Ethan Bush waved his arms, trying to flag down a tow truck driver who had just nabbed his car from a 2nd Avenue Centre parking garage. But instead of stopping, the 28-year-old said the driver locked eyes with him and accelerated. Bush barely leaped out of the way in time to avoid being hit, he said.
Bush isn’t the only Gainesville resident to complain of disreputable towing companies. The issue occasionally sparks outrage from community members, with complaints ranging from aggressive driving to exploitative or downright illegal practices.
“He was looking right at me. I got out of the way because I wasn’t trying to die over a tow,” Bush said, recalling his experience. He described some towing companies as a “criminal enterprise.”
Gainesville has at least seven towing companies, the largest and most well-known being Superior Towing and Elite Towing. Operating under the city’s supervision, these companies play a major role in enforcing parking rules and influence how residents experience parking in Gainesville.
Roam towing and spotting
Residents have taken aim at practices such as roam towing, where tow truck operators patrol private lots actively searching for vehicles violating parking rules. The use of “spotters,” or individuals paid to monitor lots and immediately report illegally parked cars to tow operators, also helps facilitate rapid towing and immobilization.
Locals say these procedures make it common for cars to be towed or booted just minutes after leaving them.
Some residents, like Mary Reimann, believe the issue goes beyond enforcement, pointing to Gainesville’s challenges with limited parking availability. Reimann, a 21-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences junior, said finding parking in Gainesville is difficult and often requires using “very shady websites” that ask for personal information, which she finds concerning.
While companies justify these policies as necessary for keeping private lots available for customers, Reimann argues they’re excessive — especially when parking spots sit empty.
“Both times that I've been booted it's been an empty parking lot, so I don't feel like I'm taking that opportunity away from anyone else,” she said. “It's happened to me at least in lots that are very often empty, close to businesses that are frequented by students, even in living spaces right next to a dorm.”
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the issue isn’t unique to Gainesville. Complaints of towing companies have come up in discussions with other mayors, especially in college towns, he said, and Gainesville isn’t alone in its failure to find a solution.
The city commission previously examined roam towing in 2017, but the issue hasn’t been discussed since. Ward, who was a commissioner at the time, said although these practices are worrisome, they’re a necessary evil.
Ward said he and the other commissioners couldn’t find an alternate solution, but residents at least have a “pretty consistent expectation” of towing practices.
While Ward said he disagrees with using spotters, he doesn’t believe the practice is as rampant as it was a few years ago. Rather than doing away with the practice altogether, Ward said focus should be on improved signage across the city to better warn residents of where to expect roam towing, which are sometimes hard to see.
“I'd like to see people who post [signs] for roam towing, I would like to see them post better,” he said. “The people who are most affected by it are usually students.”
Raising rates
Gainesville city ordinances specify the maximum rate companies can charge for trespass towing is $100 for most vehicles, plus a $60 administrative fee. Two weeks ago, Ward said, officials from a local tow company met with himself, city staff and the Gainesville Police Department to discuss raising those rates, which haven’t been altered in ten years. Ward didn’t specify which towing company was present.
A new state law requires cities and counties to clearly post maximum towing rates online and establish a complaint process for excessive fees. The bill, which unanimously passed both houses of the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, was co-sponsored by former state Sen. Keith Perry (R-9) of Gainesville to crack down on both local and statewide complaints of predatory towing.
Ward said he expects a larger community discussion on towing practices to take place later this year before raising any rates, likely before students leave for the summer.
Legal and behavioral complaints
Nadine Peavey, an employee at UF Midtown Plaza who’s lived in Gainesville for two years, said she believes “sketchy and unprofessional” towing and immobilization practices have long plagued the city’s midtown area.
“I understand there are appropriate times to tow and boot vehicles, but all of the incidents I’ve witnessed have been outlandish and handled unprofessionally,” Peavey said.
She said in one incident last year, an attendant booted the car of a woman who worked in the plaza and was parked legally. When the woman returned, Peavey said, she didn’t notice the device attached to the car’s tire and pulled forward, tearing apart the back fender. The attendant allegedly refused to admit fault, Peavey said.
Through her restaurant job, Peavey said she also regularly serves drivers from Superior Towing. She said one driver learned her name and found out where she lived, making her feel uncomfortable.
“He would see me in the mornings when I was leaving my house for work. Then I would later see him at lunch, where he would always ask personal questions while I’m trying to take his order, and even yelled out his window whilst driving past me on my way home,” she said.
Superior Towing has received 14 complaints with the Better Business Bureau in the past three years. The company is not BBB accredited and has received a B+ rating, according to online records.
Most complaints alleged cars were booted or towed in assigned parking spaces with valid decals displayed, while others described hidden towing signs and less-than-stellar customer service.
Superior is also listed as a defendant in 19 civil actions since 2007, according to publicly available court records.
Three of these were citations issued by GPD for failing to comply with towing and signage requirements and failing to provide towing receipts, as mandated by Florida law. One lawsuit, which was later voluntarily dismissed, sought approximately $18,000 after a Superior employee allegedly drove a seized car recklessly, resulting in a crash.
An investigation into Superior’s registered owner, Michael Weber, revealed a 2011 arrest on a grand theft auto charge, which was later dropped due to insufficient evidence, according to court documents.
Weber allegedly refused to release someone’s car without proper registration information, a policy he said was required under a contract with the UF Police Department. The policy didn’t actually exist, according to the arrest report.
The next day, an unidentified employee allegedly asked for $260 instead of the usual $90 fee as an administrative penalty for not having the registration information. The arrest report said Weber had no legitimate reason for charging the additional fees.
An investigation into Superior Towing employees revealed the company hired a registered child sexual offender as a driver in 2020 despite Gainesville city ordinances barring individuals convicted of sexual battery from obtaining a trespass tow operator permit.
Travis Dewayne Watkins was convicted in 2012 on two counts of lewd or lascivious battery of a minor under 16 years old. Watkins was sentenced to four years of imprisonment followed by 10 years of probation, according to court records.
In 2020, Superior hired Watkins as a driver, according to his LinkedIn profile and court records. Watkins was rearrested in 2023 for reportedly violating the conditions of his probation, a GPD release said.
Mayor Ward said it’s important for tow companies to hire employees of good moral character, because they’re dealing with the public in adversarial situations. But he said he also doesn’t see a way for the city to strictly enforce the ordinance that prohibits hiring certain offenders, as oversight is limited.
It is unclear whether Superior Towing still employs Watkins after his probation violation. Representatives from the company did not respond to multiple requests for comment via phone.
Superior isn’t the only company to come under legal scrutiny in Gainesville.
Advantage Towing, which no longer exists, came under criminal investigation in 2013 by a GPD division dedicated to investigating towing complaints. The company previously operated under the name Ultimate Towing before the city revoked their permit for instances of illegal towing.
GPD could not be reached for comment.
Members of the public are encouraged to review towing regulations and submit a complaint form with GPD for potential violations, which can be viewed on its website.
Contact Daniel Bednar at dbednar@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Danielbednar5.
Daniel Bednar is the City & County Commission reporter and a second-year political science major. He previously worked as the crime reporter. When he's not writing, you can find him driving a motorcycle or flying an airplane.
