POUGHKEEPSIE – New York Attorney General Letitia James is taking a local towing company to court for allegedly towing cars illegally in the Poughkeepsie area. James alleges that Bobby’s Towing and its owner, Bobby Scores, repeatedly cheated and harassed hundreds of car owners in the Hudson Valley.
The Attorney General also says that Bobby’s Towing, with an office on Smith Street, violated New York State business laws and the City of Poughkeepsie towing ordinance.
The lawsuit, filed on June 7, in the Dutchess County Supreme Court naming Bobby’s Towing and its owner, Bobby Scores, can be read here.
The lawsuit alleges that for years Scores engaged in rude behavior, illegally towed cars, overcharged for towing fees, falsified tow tickets, and made racist and derogatory comments to vehicle owners. James says he actively patrolled streets looking for cars to tow even if private property owners did not call for a car to be towed.
Attorney General James is seeking restitution and reimbursements for those who were cheated.
“We are slamming the brakes on this unlawful and predatory behavior that hurt too many vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Attorney General James. “For too long, Bobby’s Towing bullied New Yorkers who depended on their cars to go to work, take their children to school, get groceries, and run errands. No one should have to pay hundreds of dollars to get their car back when they didn’t do anything wrong. Today, we are taking action to stop Bobby’s Towing from harassing any more New Yorkers in Poughkeepsie’s streets. There is no place for predatory businesses like this in New York.”
The Office of the Attorney General opened an investigation into Bobby’s Towing after receiving several complaints about the company and Scores for aggressive and even racist behavior. The attorney general’s investigation found that Scores persistently engaged in deceptive and predatory business practices, including:
- Towing vehicles even when owners were on the scene and willing to move their cars;
- Towing cars that were temporarily idling; and,
- Falsifying tow tickets with untrue justifications for the tow and the cost.
In addition, Scores repeatedly told consumers to report tows to their insurance as roadside assistance for insurance reimbursement, which is illegal. Scores also often failed to properly hook up cars onto his towing truck, causing significant and expensive damages to vehicles.
Scores repeatedly violated the City of Poughkeepsie’s Towing Ordinance by charging more than $85 for towing fees, failing to wait the required 20-minute grace period before towing, overcharging for storage fees, and charging administrative and other service fees that are prohibited. In multiple affidavits obtained by attorney general, car owners shared that Scores towed their car less than 10 minutes after they left it.
Through her lawsuit — filed in Dutchess County State Supreme Court — Attorney General James is seeking:
- Conditional injunctive relief preventing Scores from operating a tow truck business unless he obtains a $100,000 bond;
- Reimbursement for vehicle owners/operators for illegal or unjustified tows, with reimbursements to include any and all damages, such as lost wages, in the circumstance of an illegal tow;
- Restitution for all known and unknown consumers;
- An end to all deceptive and predatory business practices;
- Disgorgement of illegal profits obtained; and,
- Penalties.
Attorney General James encourages New Yorkers harmed by Bobby’s Towing to file an online complaint with her Poughkeepsie Regional Office or call 845-485-3900.
“As a former Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Poughkeepsie Consumer Fraud Office, I applaud Attorney General Letitia James for her actions against an unscrupulous towing company which harassed and cheated City of Poughkeepsie residents,” said Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson. “The attorney general’s actions will result in restitution to innocent consumers who should not have to waste days in court and lose wages to recoup their losses.”
