Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Kansas City woman wins $7.1M in landmark illegal towing case -- after her truck was held for 699 days.
Kansas City woman wins $7.1M in landmark illegal towing case — after her truck was held for 699 days. Why one of her lawyers says it sends a strong message to the entire towing industry
Exterior view of Haney's Trucking and Tow, a towing company in Kansas City, MO.
Fox 4 Kansas City.
Victoria Vesovski
Updated Jul 2, 2025
Predatory towing has long been a thorn in the side of American drivers — whether their car breaks down at home or they're forced to move it after a crash. But a Kansas City woman just won a $7.1 million judgment against a local towing company, sending a message to the U.S. towing industry: illegal practices won’t go unpunished. IBISWorld estimates the towing industry is worth $14.4 billion as of 2024.
Attorney Brianne Thomas, a partner at Boyd Kenter Thomas & Parish LLC, calls it a righteous fight, one that began in 2022, when her client parked a food truck in an empty lot behind a shuttered restaurant. There were no signs forbidding parking, no fences, and no warnings. And yet, within 30 minutes, the truck — her entire livelihood — was towed away. … “They were successful, they had her truck for 699 days,” Thomas told Fox 4 Kansas City.
Now, with a verdict in hand, the case is being seen as a wake-up call for the towing industry.
She fought an illegal tow — and won big
The woman’s food truck was the only vehicle in the lot at the time of the tow. Under Missouri law, a property owner must be present for a tow to be considered legal, but no one was on-site. … “They towed the truck after 30 minutes; they towed illegally,” Thomas told Fox 4.
{snip}
Exterior view of Haney's Trucking and Tow, a towing company in Kansas City, MO.
Fox 4 Kansas City.
Victoria Vesovski
Updated Jul 2, 2025
Predatory towing has long been a thorn in the side of American drivers — whether their car breaks down at home or they're forced to move it after a crash. But a Kansas City woman just won a $7.1 million judgment against a local towing company, sending a message to the U.S. towing industry: illegal practices won’t go unpunished. IBISWorld estimates the towing industry is worth $14.4 billion as of 2024.
Attorney Brianne Thomas, a partner at Boyd Kenter Thomas & Parish LLC, calls it a righteous fight, one that began in 2022, when her client parked a food truck in an empty lot behind a shuttered restaurant. There were no signs forbidding parking, no fences, and no warnings. And yet, within 30 minutes, the truck — her entire livelihood — was towed away. … “They were successful, they had her truck for 699 days,” Thomas told Fox 4 Kansas City.
Now, with a verdict in hand, the case is being seen as a wake-up call for the towing industry.
She fought an illegal tow — and won big
The woman’s food truck was the only vehicle in the lot at the time of the tow. Under Missouri law, a property owner must be present for a tow to be considered legal, but no one was on-site. … “They towed the truck after 30 minutes; they towed illegally,” Thomas told Fox 4.
{snip}
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
