Rocky Hill moves to cut costs for towed vehicles

Measure should ease financial pain for motorists stopped by South Bound Brook police

By: Jake Uitti
   ROCKY HILL — The Borough Council on Monday approved an amendment to the borough’s towing ordinance, which was passed last month, that will affect cars towed by South Bound Brook police in the borough.
   The amendment requires that the clock for storage fees of a towed automobile start when the tow truck is hooked up to the automobile.
   Mayor George Morren said the reason for the change was to reduce the charge for the owner of the towed vehicle. By starting the clock when the tow truck was hooked up to the automobile, he said, the fee would be for the actual time of the towing and not for the whole day.
   "The way the ordinance was originally drafted part of a day would count as a whole day," he said. "Now it should cost a little bit less when the owner retrieves the vehicle."
   With the South Bound Brook Police Department handling a share of the borough’s traffic enforcement and automobile towing in the borough, there have been questions raised recently about the logistics of automobile towing under direction of South Bound Brook officers, specifically where towed vehicles would be taken as well as when the clock should start on the storage fees.
   In addition, the Borough Council members said they are going to be compiling a list of local towing services that may apply to participate in the towing program.
   "When we have several in place, the South Bound Brook Police Department will turn to that list rather than their established list," Mayor Morren said. "Eventually it is hoped there will be a minimum of three or more local operators."
   If local towing companies were used, that would cut down on the towing fees since the vehicle would not have to be taken all the way to South Bound Brook.
   Owners of the towed vehicle would still have to go to South Bound Brook to fill out the paperwork before picking up their cars, but the mayor said not having the car towed all the way to South Bound Brook would save on towing charges.
   "That’s the most practical effect of having our own towing ordinance," Mayor Morren said.
   He added that the State Police has its own procedures when it comes to towing, and the borough will be approaching local vendors regarding the State Police towing later as well.