They were dubbed the “Lincoln Park Pirates” in a 1970s folk song and they’ve been exasperating Chicago motorists for more than 40 years.
But if you’ve ever been charged $150 or more for the pleasure of having your car towed by one of Lincoln Towing Service’s trucks, get ready for a dose of schadenfreude.
The state is now threatening to strip the North Side company’s towing license after a flood of complaints from consumers, pressure from two aldermen and a petition signed by more than 3,000 people.
In one recent case that led to criminal charges, a pair of Lincoln Towing employees allegedly knocked a 55-year-old worker off a 16-foot ladder as they towed away his truck, then mocked him as they left him on the ground with a broken leg. In another case that led to a police citation, an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigator’s car was illegally towed while he asked questions about an abuse case inside the Rogers Park District police station.
In all, the Illinois Commerce Commission’s police department has opened 166 investigations into Lincoln Towing since the ICC renewed the firm’s towing license for two years in July. Of the 75 cases so far resolved — mostly cases in which motorists claim they were towed for no reason, overcharged, or duped by insufficient signage before their car was held for ransom — nearly half resulted in Lincoln Towing being fined or cutting a deal with the motorist who was towed, according to the ICC.
Rather than wait until the current license runs out in July 2017 to grill Lincoln Towing’s bosses, the ICC voted Wednesday to hold a hearing to decide whether the company should be allowed to keep its license.
“This investigation will examine the company’s management and conduct, and whether it is in fact fit to hold a license to operate in Illinois,” Commissioner Miguel del Valle said in a news release.
Lincoln Towing did not respond to requests for comment.
Though a date for the hearing has yet to be set, the ICC’s vote will be welcome news to 3,100 people who signed a petition urging Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th, to work to suspend Lincoln Towing’s business license. Pawar and Ald. Ariel Reboyras, 30th, earlier this month sponsored a City Council resolution calling on the company to be forced to appear before a joint hearing of the city’s Public Safety and Consumer Protection committees. The resolution cited singer-songwriter Steve Goodman’s “Lincoln Park Pirates” song and said residents were concerned about Lincoln Towing’s “reckless driving and other dangerous conduct.”
North Side resident Basil Diab said he started the petition after learning of an Irving Park family whose car was towed from their own property while they were on vacation.
“I’ve heard about Lincoln Towing’s reputation over the years but that was the final straw,” he said. “How is a company allowed to exist where they take people’s private property from their private property and make money from it?”
“If a restaurant fails a health inspection, they get closed down, but they’ve had complaint after complaint with no action until now.”
Construction worker Peter Salva was the victim of the most shocking recent alleged incident, when he was allegedly attacked by Lincoln Towing employees while fixing a roof on the 3400 block of North Lowell Avenue on Sept. 23. Lincoln Towing employees, brothers Ernest and Donald Munyon, 24 and 26, allegedly unhooked his ladder and yanked it down as Salva attempted to climb down it to stop them from towing his truck, according to court documents. The fall left Salva’s thigh bone sticking out of his skin and his nephew on the roof with no way to get down, he said.
Efforts to contact the Munyons were unsuccessful.
“When I fell I dropped my phone and I asked for help and one of the brothers threw it at me and said ‘(expletive) you — that’s your problem!,'” said Salva, who had a steel rod inserted in his leg, had to pay $600 to retrieve his truck and is still unable to work, five months later. He added, “A company that hires people like that shouldn’t be in business.”
DCFS worker Patrick Armstrong echoed that message. He said he had to pay $300 to retrieve his 1998 Lexus after it was towed from a lot that did not have Lincoln Towing signs posted, opposite the Rogers Park District police station, on Sept. 2.
Armstrong said that although he was accompanied by police officers when he went to Lincoln Towing’s pound at 4882 N. Clark St., to get his car back, the employees were “rude and disrespectful” to him.
The officers with Armstrong cited the company for unlawful towing after employees failed to produce a contract showing they had a right to tow from the private lot where Armstrong had parked, and for towing from an unsigned lot, according to Chicago Police spokeswoman Officer Janel Sedevic.
The officers also cited Lincoln Towing manager William Jessup when he arrived at the pound driving a tow truck while using his cellphone, she said.
And Sedevic added, “While the officers were there, another victim showed up with the owner of another property who said (Lincoln Towing) had no contract and no authorization to tow from his property.”
For his part, Armstrong said he hopes Lincoln Towing loses its license for good.
“Hell yeah,” he said. “Take their license away. They can kiss my (expletive)!”
Steve Schmadeke contributed.
Twitter @kimjnews
