All About Towing

All About Towing is one of several businesses in Davis to provide towing services. If your car breaks down, you may want to call them to tow it to an auto shop. Visit their web site at http://www.allabouttowing.us. At the request of a property owner or the police, they may also tow and store your vehicle if it is parked illegally. If they have towed your vehicle against your wishes you may want to take a look at If Your Car is Being Towed for general advice on how to handle the situation.

If you have been towed by them, they will register your vehicle and call you if they tow it again so that you avoid storage fees.

Patrol Plus Private Security partners with All About Towing to have vehicles without parking permits removed from certain apartment complexes.

For more information on towing, see CVC 22658

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2006-12-02 16:57:37   Avoid this company at all costs. The driver (and presumably the owner) is a complete jerk, and takes any and every opportunity to levy charge after charge on college students who don't have a spare $300 laying around. If your car is towed on Friday night, you have the choice to wait until Monday to pick it up, in which case he'll charge you for two days of "storage", or if you want it back the next morning, he'll charge you an "after-hours fee", which ends up costing the same as leaving it there all weekend. —CameronYoung

2007-01-19 05:26:46   2007-1-18 car towed this afternoon, didnt call till late, picking up tommorow at 8am, will be within 24 hours, cant pick up tonight without additional fee, out $220 for my stupididy in parking choice —ErikBoehm

2007-01-23 02:37:01   dpd had my car towed for being out of registration. $220. $180 towing + $40 storage for 24 hrs. moral: don't get your car towed. —CaptainRush

2007-02-16 14:37:30   Total scam artist. AVOID AT ALL COST!!! I feel pity on anyone who gets their car towed from an apartment complex by these people. They totally damaged my car and blamed it on me for my parking job. STAY AWAY!!! —SteveCarson

2007-02-17 10:28:34   here is a suggestion to avoid this company at all costs: dont park your car in private parking lots that you are not authorized to park in. —JeffIto

2007-04-24 11:21:07   http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22658.htm They charged me $220. I am going to try to make sure that they have not charged me excessively. —AnnThiNguyen

2007-05-29 03:52:32   Cruel company! Their fees are ridiculous! In my apt complex, there are a few parking spots that serve as "Future Resident Parking" until 6pm, when they become normal guest spots. I parked there on a Saturday at 5:47pm thinking it was only going to be a few minutes till 6 anyway. Well at 6:12pm, I noticed my car was gone. The only way they knew I wasn't a future resident was because the leasing office was closed at the time!
I really felt sorry for the owner of the red car parked next to me. When I was out in the parking lot, the tow truck returned to remove the red car, which was parked next to mine. It was as if the tow truck driver took down the license plate of the red car before 6pm, towed my car, then came back AFTER 6pm to tow the other car!
I understand that I broke the rules a little and parked where I shouldn't have but how could these money-grubbers be so stiff!? When I went to bail my car out, I had to pay almost $300 in towing & storage fees because I couldn't pick it up till Monday. They were so rude too. They acted so cold and really treated me like a criminal.. I guess I was a criminal in a way, but you'd think they could give some college students a break, especially for parking 13 minutes in an office spot.
Oh why couldn't "Johnny's Towing Service" tow me instead? —BenjaminCatabas

2007-11-14 12:00:41   Most people never have their vehicles towed and stored. We are called the bad guys and many other things by the owners of the vehicles that get towed and stored. It is the poor decisions that the vehicle owners make that lead to the vehicle being towed. If the irresponsible owner fails to renew their registration, drives while intoxicated, or drives without a license the police departments will have us tow the vehicle. We are the good guys to the police departments who keep our roadways safe. If the inconsiderate driver parks in a restricted location, they should expect that their vehicle will be towed. We are the good guys to businesses who want to provide parking spaces to their customers. We are the good guys to tenants who want access to their reserved parking spaces. We are the good guys to apartment complex managers that need to get the fire lanes open for emergency equipment and the handicapped spaces open for people with special needs.

As to the postings on this web site, we do not show that we ever towed a vehicle for Cameron Young, Steve Carson, Jeff Ito or Ann Thi Nguyen (possibly the same person with different aliases). We do show that we towed Erick Boehm’s and Benjamin Catabas’s vehicles. The tenant on Drake Drive that pays for the reserved parking space requested that we tow Erik’s car out of their space. The manager of the apartment complex on 5th Street had us tow Benjamin’s car for parking in a reserved space.

Yes, towing rates are expensive, but operating a towing business is expensive, especially in Davis. Real estate is expensive. Business and residential rental rates, insurance, gasoline, vehicle maintenance and repair, wages, and providing 24/7 service are also expensive. Consequently it is expensive to live and operate a business in Davis.

So bottom line, it is the driver’s poor decisions that initiate their vehicle being towed. Obey the laws and heed the warning signs and your car won’t be towed. If you make the wrong choices, your vehicle may be towed. If your vehicle is towed, it will be expensive to get it back, but stop complaining and take responsibility for your actions. But most importantly, make the right decisions and you will probably never have your vehicle towed.

—RandyRoss


Word up Randy, thats some sensible points you make, and I like how you guys obviously have meticulous records —StevenDaubert

I agree people should be considerate & not park in assigned spaces but Office Parking hours were from 6am-6pm. Offices closed at 4pm on Saturdays (Perhaps Greystone should've given me my money back). I parked at 5:47. My tow receipt says I was towed at 6pm. I thought I was past this little incident but I found my receipt while cleaning my desk today... and whenever I see that $280, it's dumb but it still really pops my corn! —BenjaminCatabas

2007-12-17 20:09:32   Know your rights: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22658.htm
If you were towed illegally, the property owner who had you towed is liable for twice what you were charged (don't take it out on the tow truck guys, they're just doing as asked).
If you catch them towing you before they leave the property, they must release your vehicle for half price (if you ask).
If they damage your vehicle, they are liable for repairs. —JenniferKucich

2008-05-05 12:21:01   Company is a joke and very frustrating. Employees are your stereotypical tow truck drivers. Very hard to work with, or have any type of legitimate communication. The fees are ridiculous. Basically don't park your car in a park lot you don't have a permit for. The guys are just doing there job, however they are idiots so it makes the whole process difficult, frustrating, and expensive. —armaraglia

2008-11-04 14:18:24   I actually had a really great experience with this company this morning. My car was towed last night due to the assholes at Cartridge World, and they released my vehicle to me for free because they said their driver only waited 58 minutes to tow my vehicle and he had to wait 60 minutes. I think they were really just being nice due to the amount of times I called them and was fighting my case. —AllanRae

2009-01-15 14:59:50   $220 to tow a car a few blocks is excessive. The problem is, the people who ask for a vehicle to be towed don't care how much it costs, and the vehicle owner has no control over the price of the towing. Therefore... Randy can charge whatever the heck he wants without having anyone regulate his pricing. There should be oversight for businesses like this. —MTills

-I disagree. If someone had the right to tow you, as in, you were in their spot that they probably pay for, then you deserve to be towed. I towed people at Greystone because I would have had someone in my spot everyday if I didn't. Seriously, be considerate. -AmLin
-Yeah, people really shouldn't park in reserved spots.. they do deserve to be towed. However, I can think of 3 times when I went door to door asking who parked in my spot because I'd rather they moved their car rather than deal with the nightmare that is All About Towing. I say: use towing as a deserved consequence, but also as a last resort.

2009-02-04 14:03:56   protect your right at: www.rtstow.com/pdf/cttaguide.pdf (California Assembly Bill 2210 ) and www.yolo.courts.ca.gov/SmallClaims —seyed

2009-03-20 17:16:04   Had my car towed last night for parking in The Drake without a permit. Sucks... But the employee I dealt with today was very polite and courteous; I was in and out in about 5 minutes. —JaredS

2009-03-24 13:10:48   Ok people need to get over themselves! Yes being towed sucks but it really is our fault if we get towed. I was towed yesterday and there goes my rent check but if you want your car back then you have to pay. I had no problems with these guys yes it is pricey but I didn't really notice my car was gone until 3AM so I called and got an immediate response. They really do answer at any time of night or day! Thanks for keeping my car safe for the night I hope we never do business again! —michaelkelley

2009-04-24 15:21:23   All About Incompetence: they towed my car even though I'm a RESIDENT with a VALID PERMIT! I live in Allegre Apartments and recently got a new car. I don't have license plates for it yet, so I got a temporary permit from the office until the plates come in. I put the permit in clear and plain sight and it explicitly states "Allegre Temporary Parking Permit" with a permit number on it. What's more? Just two nights before, I caught one of their workers looking at my car around 1 a.m. with a flashlight. I walked up to him and he asked me if it was my car. When I said yes, he went on to explain to me how I needed a permit to park there. I just pointed to the temporary permit on the windshield and went back inside to my place. Then just last night, I decided to walk outside to check on my car, and it was gone. I immediately knew what happened, called the tow company, and went to retrieve my car at about 2 a.m. They didn't charge me anything because they knew it was their mistake.

The guy who towed my car gave me some BS excuse about how they weren't familiar with the temporary permit. The funny thing is, I had my mom's 10 year old car up here for two weeks which also had a temporary permit, and that car magically never got towed. I feel like they try to prey on new cars because they need some way to make money and they bank on the chance that people won't get their permits right away. Even if they're not familiar with the permit, I would hope these people at the minimum know how to read. Half of the fault should probably go to their equally incompetent partners, the Patrol Plus rent-a-cops, who were most likely the ones who called in the tow company on my car. What a mess. —Anirudh

2009-04-27 22:38:07   yeah fxxx these people. i agree w/ u anruidh —tahoeian

2009-05-12 08:39:12   My car was towed in allegre at around 8pm, so I call them and the reception was courtliest and friendly. When I got to the tow yard, the transaction was fast and professional. Overall everyone was pretty friendly except for the driver with the Irish accent(didn’t sound or look friendly at all). #220 is a lot of money but so is keeping the shop open 24/7 and have drivers on call….just don’t ever park your car there without a permit….not even for 10 minutes, IT WILL GET TOW!!! —acatmpf

2009-06-06 14:37:13   My car was towed last night. The charge came out to $310. it would have been more if the guy working there had not told me about storage fees and what not. I was grateful that the service was good and quick, even if it cost $310 dollars!

On the plus side, they resister you once you get towed, so if they tow you again, they will call you. —tmmeadow

2010-02-11 17:24:28   Last I checked, a company presenting an authorization to tow a car from a complex under a "general Authorization agreement" with the complex CANNOT be an affiliate of the tow company that performs the service. This is outlined in California Vehicle Code 22658 linked at the top of the page. What they do is the complex contracts out with Patrol Plus to authorize tows of invalid vehicles after-hours. By law, they need to make a written authorization to tow. In theory, Patrol Plus patrols the complexes they have contract with and calls in the tow when they find a violator. What actually happens (Per admittance of a tow operator) is that the tow company does the patrolling, finds a violator, and calls Patrol Plus to give them authorization to tow. I have caught them in the act doing it and they have openly admitted it before two other witnesses.
CVC 22658 is your best friend, learn it, know it, love it, it is written VERY specifically to protect you from abusive towing. —edwin.nielsen

• I don't see how it is abusive towing if there was a parking violation. The law seems to have just forced apartment complexes to hire a middleman that does not get paid on the number of cars towed. A better solution would be to let people whose cars get towed for ridiculous reasons take the towing company to court for a sum of money that provides compensation for lost wages and inconvenience. This way, complexes won't have to pay for a service that they really do not need if towing companies do the patrolling and only use Patrol Plus to get authorization. Getting rid of the middleman would not cause any problems if towers have to be able to prove that the car towed was in violation or else risk losing a large sum of money. The cost is probably passed onto renters as well. Just two cents from an advocate of the devil. —hankim
  

2010-02-11 19:18:39   Abuse is because the intent of the law is that the landlord (or agent of) requests the tow. So, an advocate of the tenants (who pay to keep the place running and maintained) keeps unauthorized cars out. This should imply that an advocate for tenants should be able to notify the tenants if their car is being towed. Whereas an associate of the tow company would have no knowledge or access to such knowledge as to if it is a tenant's car being towed or not. That is the purpose of that part of the law, and the exact kind of abuse taking place in Davis now with these two companies. The law's writing was to prevent the "no permit = tow" mentality of patrolling tow trucks, but now all they do is have a 3rd party authorizing it. edit: and how the hell do you do that bullet replay, anyway?—edwin.nielsen

• You just double click the text and edit. You need to put an asterisk before the text though. If the towing company were to call the agent of the apartment complex for authorization to tow a car, should the agent not inform the towing company if the car belongs to a resident or not if the apartment complex wanted tenant cars to be able to park without a permit? Apartment complexes do warn residents that cars without a parking permit will get towed. Because this is specifically stated in the parking lot, towing a car without a permit does not seem like abuse, even if the car belongs to a tenant. And if the cars of residents were kept from being towed even if the car is without a permit, this just opens up the parking lot to abuse by residents who decide to let their friends borrow their passes for a while, which in turn inconveniences others who are actually authorized to use the lot. —hankim
  

• My impression is that the problem isn't that cars without permits get towed, but that a tow truck company is the one doing the patrolling. Predatory towing is incredibly common and there have been several attempts in the state legislature to curtail it. If I recall correctly, an illegal tow makes the tow company liable for something like 4x the bill. The problem, unfortunately, is that you have to pay them to get your car back, even if they towed illegally. If you don't pay it, they can sell your car after 30 days, apply the proceeds from the sale toward the bill you owe them (I think the legal limit is something like $70 or 80 per day in the lot, plus a couple hundred for the initial tow), and then send the remaining balance to collections. Towing companies have a LOT of protection which makes it incredibly easy for them to abuse their power. If you see one violating the law, you should absolutely report them. If you personally get screwed by them, you should have a word with the CA Attorney General's office, the BBB, and of course the DPD. —TomGarberson
  

• I know the problems that can arise from predatory towing. That is why I believe that wrongfully towing a car should have such a huge punishment that towing companies would think twice before doing something stupid. I just don't think that towing a car without a permit, especially if signs are everywhere, is predatory. —hankim
  

2010-02-19 16:14:23   In response to Edwin,as an employee of All About Towing I resent the implication that anything was, or is done outside the guidelines of cvc 22658,in the course of our providing service to the complexes we service.We patrol disabled spaces, firelanes, entrances and exits, and yes "resident only" throughout the night so tenants that have a right to park in the spaces set appart for them, can. We are the best friend your car has if you properly display your parking permit your managment provided you.The intent of the legislation revising cvc 22658 was to insure the tow is authorized by the management or agent at the time tow, and that the price charged is accordance with all law enforcement towing and storage fees. Moreover,I find it quite ironic that someone who is driving around on two year out of date, out of state license plates is commenting on california law. Sorry we met this way —KJONES

2010-03-04 06:58:03   I HAVE 2 PAY ALMOST $8,000 TO GET MY CAR OUT! HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!? DOES THE PREVIOUS OWNERS TICKETS STICK TO THE CAR AS WELL? THATS ALOT OF TICKETS! MIGHT AS WELL BUY A NEW FRIGGIN CAR BUT WOULD SOME1 MIGHT TRY N PUT ME INTO SOME TYPE OF DEBT IF I DONT? —reallyUpset

2010-03-04 07:02:39   I ONLY WISH I CAN PAY A THREE DIGIT FEE 2 GET MY BABY BACK. I HAVE 2 PAY FOUR FIGURES! ARE THERE ANY TIPS ON PAYING LIKE REDUCING OR FINANCING OR PAYING IN INCREMENTS? THERES NO WAY I CAN PAY ALL THAT IN ONE LUMP SUM IN 72HRS DUE TO THE MARSHALLS SEIZING IT. THEY MAY PUT IT UP FOR SALE...*sniffle* —reallyUpset

2010-10-15 14:14:12   Dear Edwin thanks a lot for posting your comments here. The problem is the weakness of CA law in regard of towing; unfortunately CA law does not apply much more restricted law about towing as some other states do. There are many technicality codes in state law that the judges in small claim court are not beware of, or not train for. Also since the counties collect business taxes from these companies it is much difficult to win your case in the court. Also plaintiff has a difficult time to challenge the judge. Personally I believe that the state should apply more restricted law for towing and increase the fine of illegal tow by at least 20x the bill. In this case 20X of the original bill would be $ 4400 which provides the plaintiff with better opportunities to spend money on attorney for consultation. As it is obvious in this page the company does lots of violations and fraud. In CA and most part of the USA we need a towing reform. —joedavis

2011-03-01 13:58:43   I think this is the towing company that patrols the Hoa Viet lot. If it is, back in late 2007 they definitively violated CVC 22658 (h), charging over $220 dollars when they hadn't even started to tow the car yet. CVC 22658 clearly states that they are not allowed to charge storage fees and are only allowed to charge half of the actual towing charge unless your vehicle has started transit. I later found out that their towing fee was only around $180, so legally all they could charge was $90 not the full $180 plus a $40 storage fee. This is a lesson, know the CVC 22658 before parking in this town. We parked the car in front of the restaurant while they were closed in the morning and were going to eat at the restaurant right when they opened for lunch. We arrived to the spot right before the restaurant opened to watch our car getting attached to a tow truck. Not sure if this was the restaurants fault or the tow truck companies fault, but they shouldn't be allowed to tow paying customers, and certainly not brake the law by violating CVC 22658 h. —MattHh

2011-05-17 16:17:05   I was in an automobile accident on a busy overpass in Davis. Your driver, Mark, made a bad situation quite tolerable. He arrived at the scene within minutes and handled the situation with expertise. He quickly got my truck out of the busy intersection and was concerned with my safety. He then went out of his way to explain my towing options. He was very professional, knowledgeable and careful towing my vehicle. My vehicle was towed out of town, so I was his passenger for a long haul. Mark made me feel totally at ease throughout the entire ordeal. I would highly recommend Mark for your towing needs.

—DLP

2011-05-23 01:38:16   If you are having automobile troubles, call these guys. My motorcycle and I got in a wreck last week and Mark was kind enough to tell me my options (pay now vs later, warning of storage fees at his lot, etc). He was very understanding, and walked me through everything. He also only charged me for 30 minutes of labor instead of a full hour.

If your vehicle is towed because you parked where you weren't supposed to, please understand that they are just doing their job. But if you're in trouble and need a tow, they're professional, personable, and more than reasonable on price. —CelesteIi

2011-05-27 11:50:35   Employees were professional about the situation and friendly as well. Got me in and out in a matter of minutes, so service was quick. Only thing is I don't agree with one of the other comments above — "On the plus side, they register you once you get towed, so if they tow you again, they will call you." false. This was my second towing from them and my car was just there for 2 days and I did not receive any notification. Had they called or notified me somehow, I would have really appreciated it since I would have saved money on the storage fees. But overall, they maintained their professionalism, were organized and friendly, and even apologized I hadn't been transferred to someone that could help me right away when I first called (the lady said to call back later when someone would be in the office). No damages done to my car either, so I'm glad about their service in that respect. And just a note, they don't accept checks, so make sure you have cash or a credit/debit card on hand! —Anonymous222

2011-08-07 13:56:59   I called All About Towing last night when my car died. They were very friendly on the phone, and quoted me a price. Mark, the tow guy, arrived very quickly and was extremely helpful. He offered to try a jump first (which was a reduced cost), before towing. The jump didn't work out, but Mark stuck to his original price quote, and did not add on any extra fees for jumping the car. He is also full of stories and quite entertaining, making a lousy situation not feel so bad. In the end, he also gave me a ride home. Overall, I found this towing company to be fast, friendly, reliable and professional. Of course, if you park somewhere where you are not allowed to park, you should probably expect that you will be paying for a tow. That is just the way it works. Read the signs. —BrookeRoberts

2011-08-12 19:23:16   I needed my car towed and they were the only company that even cared to help ASAP. Great service, Mark offered to jump start my car so I wouldn't have to have it towed, in the end I needed it towed, but he charged me the same!! It was great, fast service and I really appreciate how nice and patient Mark was towards me!! —krisLeid

2011-09-20 22:51:13   My car broke down and I called them. The man over the phone (I think his name was Kevin) was very friendly and had someone out to help me within 15 minutes. Mark, the person who helped me tow my car, was professional and helpful when it came to getting my car to the place I needed it to be! If I ever need to be towed in Davis again, I'm calling them. Also, it was relatively cheap ($90) compared to some other tow jobs I've heard about. —Graveflower

2011-12-19 21:48:10   This company was great. My car broke down Saturday afternoon and they were the only company open on the weekend. Service was prompt, and they gave me a discount because the trip was short. Any and all negative reviews on here are just from people who are bitter that their cars got towed after they illegally parked (which is their own fault).
I definitely recommend All About Towing. —AnnabelVera

2012-02-08 20:57:13   I actually had a great experience with All About Towing tonight. I needed a jump on my car & a driver by the name of Mark got to me within in 10 minutes of me calling & he was AWESOME! He helped me with my insurance to get the bill paid by State Farm & went beyond what he had to do to help me get going again. He didn't mess around. I would recommend them to everyone! Thank you Mark! —Sherylb

2012-02-20 23:17:53   I was in an accident today on 80 right outside of Davis. CHP was involved and called All About Towing for me. I was really glad they did. Mark was there quickly, was friendly and helpful. I was very appreciative of this being new to the area without and friends or family very close to help. If I ever needed their services again I wouldn't hesitate to call them. As for the remarks about avoiding this companies towing services, the only way to do that is to avoid parking illegally. You don't get to choose who tows you if you're breaking the rules. Deal with the consequences and stop complaining. —MichelleS

2012-02-26 01:35:46   Great experience with them. My car broke down while driving on I-80 eastbound, just before the Causeway, in a pretty dark place. I called a couple of companies, one of which said it would take a couple of hours for them to arrive, and another which didn't even answer. I finally called All About Towing, and they said they could help out right away. The person that assisted me, Mark, was there within 20 minutes, and he drove from Vacaville. He was patient while we waited for a friend to pick up others in my car and take them back to Davis. We then went and dropped my car off at a repair shop in Davis, and even gave me a ride back home. He even took care of the paperwork so this could be covered by my insurance company. Overall it was a great relief to be helped out so fast by their staff and by someone nice and professional like Mark, who really went out of his way to help. Don't hesitate to contact them first, and directly, if you run into any trouble! —MHess

2012-04-23 07:58:32   My classic car, a 1981 DeLorean, had clutch problems after I over used the clutch in the UC Davis Picnic Day parade earlier in the day. Kevin from All About Towing came out to give me a tow 50 miles back home. Kevin was super friendly, very careful with the car, and even gave me a few minutes when we arrived home to wash off the clutch fluid while the car was still up on the truck bed. If you find yourself stuck somewhere in Davis, these are the guys to call! —DavidProehl

2012-05-15 16:32:17   A couple weeks ago, I needed a jump for my car battery. Within ten minutes, I was helped and within 15 everything was over :) Although the price was really high (it was average based on other companies I compared it to- $65), Mark Wohlgemuth, the tow truck operator who came out to help us, was very knowledgeable and cordial. He taught me a few things about the battery and handled my situation very well. —MariaKalola

2012-06-30 15:54:24   Very good experience with this company and the driver, Mark Wohlgemuth. My car broke down on 80 outside of Dixon, and Mark showed up quickly, and at a cheaper rate than others had quoted me. He was very professional, friendly, and efficient and I am keeping his business card in my wallet in case I need a tow again (fingers crossed). I highly recommend giving him a call if you need towing services. —DavidMistchenko

2012-08-14 21:55:55   Very good service! The driver Mark was nice and towed my car safely, and he only took a half hour from the time I called to get to my apartment. I received a discount so it only ended up being $45 to tow it across town, super cheap! I highly recommend this company. —JaclynGee

2012-12-05 21:37:53   Great experience will All About Towing. Driver was Mark W. He was very friendly and professional and was extremely careful about my vehicle. Highly recommended. —AlanStevenson

2013-05-31 11:08:10   Mark W. came to my aid quickly when I had a flat on the shoulder of 113 near the Covell turnoff. He changed the tire and met me at the 76 Station (safe and out of traffic) to fill out the paperwork. Mark was friendly, personable and extremely helpful. Also if you have State Farm roadside coverage, they will bill State Farm! —jdevine