Finally, justice for North Carolina residents is being served. A Tow truck operator is ordered to repay $30,000 in unlawful towing charges. The operator forced drivers to pay excessive prices to get their vehicles back. Some people were charged more based on skin color. 

North Carolina tow truck officer ordered to replay $30,000 in unlawful charges 

David Satterfield of Charlotte, North Carolina, has massive bills to pay after committing illegal towing practices. The tow truck operator was found guilty in the state’s first discriminatory towing case in history. 

Satterfield must repay $30,000 to his victims for unlawfully towing their vehicles and for requiring excessive prices for drivers to get their vehicles back. 

According to WBTV, towing records from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department show that he targets vehicles owned by black drivers. He primarily operated in areas with a majority black population. 

Satterfield was first sued back in 2020 for price gouging during the pandemic. But the judge ruled that the case was weak. Then a new complaint was filed about discriminatory tow truck practices. 

Towing rules outlined in the judgment include that Shatterfield and his companies: 

• Cannot tow vehicles without getting permission from the owner of the property that the vehicle is on. 
• Cannot charge excessive amounts for towing. 
• Cannot put boots on commercial vehicles such as food trucks. 
• Cannot threaten vehicle owners/drivers. 
• Cannot tow vehicles from private lots unless it has clearly marked signs. 
• Cannot charge separately for towing and impounding separate parts of a tractor-trailer. 
• Cannot boot a vehicle while the driver is in it without first informing the driver or giving them a chance to move the vehicle. 
• Cannot charge DMV filing fees when no fee is required. 
• Cannot require consumers to schedule a time to pick up their vehicle and charge them for a delay in the pickup caused by the defendant.