Oregon House pummels predatory towers again!

The Oregon House voted unanimously to clamp down on predatory towing companies for the second consecutive day today.

Senate Bill 431 was carried by Representative Donna Nelson (R-McMinnville) with enthusiasm, and the entire House responded in kind.

Last Friday, the House voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 116, the other towing reform bill to emerge from this landmark legislative session.

Senate Bill 431 provides important protections to renters and restricts the circumstances under which towers can legally remove vehicles from private property without notice to the vehicle owner.

Both Senate bills (116 and 431) passed each chamber on unanimous votes, a result probably unequaled among legislation that creates and implements broad regulation across a powerful industry.

The unanimous votes speak for themselves.

This legislation is the death knell for vehicle harvesting operations such as that which occurs in Hacienda CDC’s apartment properties in NE Portland.

Hacienda maintains about 325 units of affordable housing in NE Portland. Those 325 units racked up 155 tows in 2006 alone for Hacienda’s contract towers.

When you calculate the cost of recovering your car, the units probably aren’t as affordable as one would think.

Meanwhile, Hacienda CDC staff remains hunkered in their bunker on NE 42nd street, using a stretch of the public right of way as their own private parking area, complete with phony towaway-zone signs (see earlier posting).