The cap on what towing companies can charge for involuntary towing in Wilmington has been removed.
Wilmington City Council on Tuesday approved removing the $100 cap on involuntary towing of vehicles from private lots.
“The N.C. Supreme Court recently ruled that while cities have the authority to regulate towing within their borders, they can’t put a cap on private towing fees,” a bulletin from the city’s communications office said.
That was a case against the Town of Chapel Hill, decided in June, that determined that town didn’t have the power to put a fee schedule on “nonconsensual” towing at private lots.
Caps would remain, though, for towing from public streets or highways following law violations–for instance, if a car is in a “no parking” area. That’s $100. The cap to tow a car from the scene of a wreck is $150.
The same cap applies to the towing of junked cars or those posing a threat to health or safety.
Islamic Learning Center rezoning
Council voted to rezone 1.08 acres at 315 N. 17th St. and 314 N. 16th St. from office and institutional/special-use district to office and institutional/conditional district to allow for a religious institution within an existing 4,000-square-foot structure. Staff noted in an agenda briefing Monday that plans call for an Islamic learning center.
