| to Joel |
Hi Joel,
Appreciate you reaching out on this. I’d love to talk to you a little more about some of the stuff you outline in this email — feel free to try me anytime today at 617-851-6796.
Best,
Sam
On Mon, Dec 20, 2021 at 12:50 PM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Hello Sam,
I am Joel Perri and have been targeted by Denver7 for several false news stories. I have attached my responses to those stories just for your reference. I saw your story on Wyatts Towing.
I am writing to you because I am sick and tired of being lumped in with the THUGS and CROOKS of this industry. I have done everything I can to change things but the managers and property managers aren’t interested in ethics. They are only interested in compensation for the privilege of towing or booting on their property.
The PUC has no power to fix this issue that is supported by some of the biggest and “customer service” oriented management companies. The three piece suits and highly thought of industry professionals are the main cause of the problems plaguing the industry. The who’s who of the management industry promote one thing to their residents while doing the complete opposite.
I have included the PUC people that I have dealt with over the last few years on towing complaints as I hang myself out in the most honest way I know how. I am just going to lay it all out the best I can without thousands of pages detailing each detail of the industry.
I have also included part of my business plan (kept out the financials otherwise you have what we wanted to do). I have also included our Parking Liaison Program that would be the perfect solution for each apartment or HOA. No Apartment or HOA has shown any interest in the Liaison Program further reinforcing our position that the problem begins with the managers and management companies.
I have attached the following in a Word Document.
The problem with private property impound towing companies from the inside. Having been part of a hit piece by Denver7 I felt it necessary to expose the industry for what it is and not the lies told by certain news organizations. I am not a felon and I run an honest business in a dishonest industry.
Having been in and around towing since 1973 I have seen many things. Private Property Impounds or PPI towing is a need for properties to maintain a quality community. Unfortunately, it has been plagued by many things that just won’t change.
The biggest issues facing the consumer are the very property managers and management companies they depend on to protect them from bad vendors. The managers and management companies need to control parking but have become used to long held industry practices that create major problems for ethical parking enforcement.
A multi-family community i.e. Apartments and HomeOwners Associations depend on controlled parking to ensure all their residents can park without problems. Especially with the skyrocketing rental rates many people are now sharing units with limited parking.
The manager and management company have been led to believe that they are entitled to control and share the revenue towing companies that perform vehicle impounds. Towing and low cost security companies have been the traditional parking enforcement vendors. Whom often eagerly are willing to participate in a pay to play that is expected by the property managers and management companies. Mind you it is not all managers and management companies, but it is a majority of them including the most respected “customer service” focused management companies.
The majority of managers and management companies expect to be compensated for the “privilege” of towing and booting vehicles on their properties. They expect to be compensated by tow companies with free tows, free cars (from abandoned impounded vehicles), free vacations, free food, free givebacks, free space moves and sometimes even free parking lot striping. Security companies are expected to provide free patrols, free boot releases, free fire watch hours, and other free security work along with the expected swag.
This expectation is eagerly met by the majority of towing and security companies believing they will make the expense back by towing or booting more vehicles. In the simplest of terms a manager or management company expects the freebies and will protect the towing or security company from their residents to obtain those benefits.
On a daily basis property managers and management companies expect the towing or security company will be expected to release a vehicle for free if the person creates a big enough stink with management. If a person goes to corporate head quarters with their complaint it is automatically expected that the towing company or security company must release the vehicle for free. It does not matter what the circumstances are all that matters is how much noise a person makes.
This creates the situation where the towing or security company makes up for the “free” tow/boot by towing and booting vehicles that should not have been towed or booted. All in order to make up for the free release that the manager or management company requested. The towing companies call these actions “raiding parties.” A raiding party is where many vehicles are towed or booted all at once to make up for the free release.
Most security companies work directly with towing companies since some boots don’t release or vehicles are abandoned that need to be removed. The towing company usually pays the security company a portion of the tow to secure the towing contract. The most notorious impound property was the shopping complex at Colfax and Kalamath next to the Auraria Campus. The security company owned the towing company and paid the property management company 30k a month for the contract. The property has now been torn down eliminating this issue.
That is only one of many such situations such as the Ogden Theater and Paramount venues that create problems for neighboring businesses. The Wendy’s is owned by the family that owns Lone Star Towing and that is now Wyatts Towing, Boulder Valley Towing, Klaus Towing and many more names.
Wendy’s uses a notorious parking lot operator on event nights to collect parking fees for half their lot and then have him leave, enticing others to park in the remaining open parking spaces. The tow company has spotters who would then watch as unsuspecting venue goers park like everyone else except they would be towed as soon as they walked away.
This is just two examples of what the industry refers to as “hitter lots” where tow trucks sit in the shadows waiting for the violator to walk away from the vehicle. They then swoop in to tow away the vehicle freeing up the spot for another unsuspecting person to park in their trap.
Any type of concert night or event night can be a tow company’s dream towing in 30 or more vehicles in just a few hours. Often, they have trucks designated for pulling vehicles to a central location where the vehicles would then be loaded onto rollback tow trucks that could tow two at a time. As the rollbacks are shuttling the vehicles to the yard the snatch trucks are towing new vehicles to the drop zone.
A property manager or management company can make more profit sharing with the tow company than they make doing their job. A property manager or management company is often not very well paid so towing kickbacks could be extremely rewarding. Creating a no-win situation for the consumer.
I naively felt that I could change this aspect of the industry when I first entered into the PPI part of towing back in 2010. I had started Parking Authority with the intention of doing a more customer service focused approach to towing impounds. An unethical partner did not have the same vision which led to us going our separate ways.
I then developed my No Tow Solution that was designed to provide needed parking enforcement without having to tow vehicles to a far off impound yard. Our business model was exactly everything that was opposite of what the towing industry was doing.
I was naïve enough to think that the issue was the towing company when in reality the issue really is with the managers and management company that expects kickbacks. I felt and still feel that the properties should be paying the tow company/parking enforcement company for their services. This would take away the “get them” attitude which would be considerably better for the consumer.
We set up to charge for my services, we did not do “hitter lots,” our vehicles were highly marked/visible, our people wear hi-viz uniforms, we had a quality contract, we do not share revenue, we do not release vehicles for free and we developed our revolutionary remote release vehicle boot and boot return station to ensure compliance without the drastic measure of a tow impound.
The vast majority of property managers and property management companies were used to getting the freebies, revenue sharing, cars, free tows and all the other benefits. Simply put they were not interested in providing their residents and their guests with better customer service. Instead they were willing to sacrifice their residents and visitors to unnecessary towing/booting to keep the revenue flowing.
The towing companies were also upset with my concept and immediately began lobbying the State and PUC to regulate my booting. They got the task force to regulate booting with the exception of our boot due to its specific design. The Colorado Attorney General and the PUC rulemaking agreed our boot should not be regulated.
The towing industry had made the mistake of assuming my business model was the same as their towing model. They worked the rules to deal with their type of operation, even leading to the rebuke of Troy Porras of Wyatts Towing by the PUC Judge. Troy Porras had led the charge to regulate our company with the hope it would put us out of business.
This is the same company that started with the family-owned Wendy’s next to the Ogden and Paramount venues. Stephen Tricamo “Scuba” helped Troy Porras set up and run Lone Star/Wyatts now owns spin off company Elite Transportation and Towing, LLC. Both practice the same business practices with both firmly believing that pay to play is acceptable. Troy Porras had even advertised it on his ParkM permit website-revenue sharing. They have mastered the art of exploiting relationships to maximize the towing revenue.
They have created a negative environment for the consumer all in the name of revenue. The biggest management companies and most expensive apartments are a party to this. These two companies would account for the majority of what is wrong with the industry. They control a majority of the multi-family communities in the greater metro area.
Their way of doing business has created a negative environment for the consumer. A consumer that finds themselves complaining to the very managers and management companies that benefit from not helping them with their complaint. While claiming to provide a high level of customer service.
We have been fired from many communities because we would not do what the other companies are willing to do. We feel it is unethical for a manager or management company to benefit financially from any tow impound or boot revenue. In essence if a manager needs a car or money for a vacation they allow for more tow impounds to be done so they can reap the benefit.
We know for a fact that multi-family communities need parking enforcement otherwise the residents won’t be happy. People need to be able to park in their own community without having people in the parking spaces that should not be there. We have proven that with the right managers and management company we can create a proper parking environment without using any of the stated norms of the towing industry.
Property managers and management companies expect and have been reinforced in their expectations of getting compensated for the privilege of unethically impounding people’s vehicles. The only way to change the problem is to change the expectations of management. Sadly, the very companies that state they have no kickback policies expect and accept kickbacks on a daily basis.
To change the industry the managers and management companies should be penalized for any type of kickback. They have helped to create the situation where the consumer loses at every turn. Parking enforcement can be done ethically and honestly but it starts with the managers and management companies doing the right thing.
The Public Utilities Commission doesn’t have the ability to stop this type of problem. Many people mistakenly think that the PUC can do something about these practices. When in reality they are only able to penalize a tow company for minor rule infractions. They have no ability to address the real problem of kickbacks expected by property managers and property management companies.
Respectfully–
Joel Perri
President
Office: 855-727-5487 800-TOW-4805
joel@ParkItRight.net joel@TowingDoneRight.com
www.ParkItRight.net www.TowingDoneRight.com
Parking Management Services—
Sam Tabachnik
Reporter – The Denver Post
303-954-1913
Twitter: @sam_tabachnik
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Dec 21, 2021, 2:53 PM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Hey Joel,
I understand, no worries at all. I’d love to meet face to face if you’re willing to sit down for a cup of coffee. We can keep things off the record just so we can speak freely and then we can talk about doing a more formal interview if it comes to that.
How does that sound?
-Sam
On Tue, Dec 21, 2021 at 2:33 PM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Hello Sam,
Thank you for getting back to me. As you can imagine I am gun shy of the press so I would prefer to talk over email so I can ensure what I say is what you report. I will be as open as I possibly can be. I would be happy to have a simple conversation over the phone or in person but I do not want to discuss the particulars without being able to keep a record of it.
If that is acceptable to you I would be happy to answer any and all questions you have.
Respectfully
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Dec 21, 2021, 5:22 PM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Hey Joel,
Sorry, this week is a little hectic for me before the holidays. Think we could try for the first week of January? Also, if you don’t mind, I’m not sure you need to CC the PUC guys to let them know what I’m working on. We can talk between us and go from there.
-Sam
On Tue, Dec 21, 2021 at 4:26 PM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Sounds good I am available tomorrow if that works for you. When and where would you like to meet?
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Dec 22, 2021, 9:48 AM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Sounds good- same to you! Tuesday Jan. 4th is looking open for me.
-Sam
On Wed, Dec 22, 2021 at 2:46 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Perfect have a Merry Christmas and we will get together after the new year.
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Dec 23, 2021, 9:25 AM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Hey Joel,
Do you want to do a coffee shop in Denver somewhere? What part of town is good for you?
-Sam
On Wed, Dec 22, 2021 at 10:08 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
I can do Jan 4 where and when?
As for including PUC I have my own issues with them that I am trying to dispel. It was my last email to include them but I needed them to see my process as well. I have been made out to be the boogie man and it is causing me a lot of issues.
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Dec 24, 2021, 9:48 AM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Cool – how’s 11am at Devil’s Cup Coffee (4999 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80212) in Berkeley?
-Sam
On Fri, Dec 24, 2021 at 8:14 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
I live in Arvada and can meet you anywhere. I won’t talk through a mask if that bothers you I understand. Just pick a place. After 10am would be best for me since I still patrol at night.
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Jan 3, 2022, 5:26 PM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Hey Joel – just circling back to make sure we’re still on for 11 am tomorrow.
-Sam
On Mon, Dec 27, 2021 at 7:26 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Perfect see you on the 4th at 11am
Have a Happy New Year
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Jan 5, 2022, 5:22 PM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Thanks for letting me know, Joel.
-Sam
On Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 9:38 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Hitter lot – El Tepehuan 3457 S. Broadway look at it on Googlemaps and you will see that the restaurant has very few spaces so they park in the apartment complex behind it. Can’t blame the apartment complex but could solve the issue with access gates or a lot attendant otherwise towing is the only option.
One thing I didn’t mention about PUC as you noted Wyatts had 150 plus complaints in a year. When you consider they tow more than 2000 vehicles a month or close to 24000 vehicles in a year 150 isn’t even a percentage of that. Elite tows around 500 a month with 2 tow trucks, Maxx Auto Recovery might be over 500 with 2 tow trucks, Colorado Auto Recovery about 400 a month with 2 tow trucks, and Tri-County around the same with 2 tow trucks. These are all guessing based on their accounts and what we hear on the streets.
As you can see PUC doesn’t really dent the numbers and most companies play the numbers game. I still don’t have an answer to what to control or how to control. What do they see as wrong? Take the hitter lot I pointed out above – a restaurant opens with extremely limited parking. Patrons find the nearest parking which is the apartment directly behind them. The apartment also has limited parking for their residents so they want anyone that isn’t displaying a permit to be towed immediately. A spotter will sit at the lot and call in trucks as people park and walk into the restaurant. The vehicle is then justly towed. The only solution would be a gate but people foil those everyday by following behind someone with access.
Should the apartment residents suffer? Should they not be towed if not why? We patrol properties that have specific times that must be monitored such as last night one property allows people to park till midnight. So they want enforcement after that period of time. Is it predatory to find a violator of the private property rules that is negatively affecting the community? What is predatory – towing/booting anyone? How would you curb parking violators?
Keeping in mind that more and more units are being built with limited or no parking how would you curb what is perceived as the problem? The only problem I see is the managers and management companies expecting free services to appease the loudest complainers? How can you protect against don’t believe every story a violator states. Most violators are those that feel entitled and could care less how they affect other people. Without parking control the level of enjoyment of the property people call home drops dramatically.
On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 7:25 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Good Moring Sam
Yes we are still on sorry I didn’t get with you yesterday look forward to meeting you. I will be wearing a reflective black and green striped jacket and a yellow shirt. See you at 11
| Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com> | Feb 17, 2022, 9:52 AM | ||
| to Joel | |||
Hey Joel – sorry I completely missed this email. Appreciate the heads up on the Wyatts news.
-Sam
On Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 7:55 AM Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com> wrote:
Just an FYI Colorado Auto Recovery was bought out by Wyatts this past week.
| Property Managers <propertymanagers@parkitright.net> | Aug 31, 2022, 7:50 PM | ||
| to me | |||
10 Attachments • Scanned by Gmail
| Property Managers <propertymanagers@parkitright.net> | Aug 31, 2022, 8:09 PM | ||
| to Shelly-Jean, Mellisa.Lambeth, me | |||
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Joel Perri <joel@towingdoneright.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 21, 2021, 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: The Real Problem with Towing
To: Sam Tabachnik <stabachnik@denverpost.com>
Cc: <jayl.estrada@state.co.us>, Seeger – DORA, Stephen <stephen.seeger@state.co.us>, Swint – DORA, Lloyd <lloyd.swint@state.co.us>, Riley – DORA, Nate <Nate.Riley@state.co.us>
Hello Sam
Thank you for your email I would be happy to have coffee. When I started this company my intention was to be able to be transparent and honest in what we do. I wanted to be able to show anyone how we do what we do without concern. To some it may be harsh but in truth real violators only account for about 10-15% of the population we deal with in multi-family communities.
I was going to narrate what I have attached, but then felt it would be best for you to come to your own conclusions. I have nothing to hide. I may be hanging myself with a lot of people but at some point I need to stand up for myself and my people. We are a professional company doing a professional service in a cut throat bottom feeding environment doing our best to do it right.
Several points – Attaway story cost me a lot of accounts even though I did everything right. The courts did not follow the law, the appellate wouldn’t hear our case nor would the Supreme Court. All because of the lying media attention on a false story. A lie can be brutal, but the truth always wins out.
Oculus/Dark Sky/Global Security is now doing the booting at Camden using my business concept he signed a non-disclosure when reviewing our business model as a franchisee. Just gotta love it liars, cheats and thieves appear to be winning the day. Yet I refuse to believe they will win out in the long run.
Start with the Mr. Campo word file and then all the emails will show you and unfiltered look at the shake down.
Please be fair and honest.
Thank you
Joel Perri
