News

OHIO TOWER ALERT !! INFO NEEDED !!!

 

TO:              TRAO and APTO MEMBERS

 

FROM:         The Ohio Towing and Recovery Legislative Committee (OTRLC)

 

RE:              NOTICE: INFORMATION NEEDED FOR PPI RATE REVIEW

 

DATE:          January 6, 2023

 

 

In 2018, The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (“PUCO”) adopted rules that established maximum rates for towing and storing motor vehicles from a Private Tow-Away Zone, i.e., Private Property Impounds (“PPI”). Recall, the Ohio towing and recovery industry fought and won a difficult battle to increase PPI rates and supported removing the authority to set these rates from the legislature and transferring the rulemaking authority to the PUCO. These rates had not been increased since 1994, and the result of our work saw a 44% increase in both rates.

 

A significant reason we pushed hard for this change in law and for the new process is because the PUCO is required to review the rates, at a minimum, every five years, and it provides the towing and recovery industry the opportunity to participate in the rate making process and advocate for fair and just rate increases. Specifically, as part of the process, the PUCO is required to consider any adverse impact the rates have on towing and recovery businesses. The PUCO will officially review the current rates in early 2023, but we must start preparations immediately so the industry is prepared to participate in the review process.

 

The Ohio Towing and Recovery Legislative Committee (“OTRLC”), the joint committee established by APTO and TRAO, is taking the lead to represent the industry and advocate for an increase in both the PPI towing and storage rates. While it is obvious the COVID 19 pandemic, dramatic inflation, and supply chain and workforce issues have had an enormous and adverse impact on your businesses, we must be able to present hard data—through specific examples—to the PUCO in order to justify rate increases. WE NEED YOUR HELP to make the case.

 

The importance of achieving a PPI rate increase during this review period cannot be overstated. The PPI rates are often used as a measuring stick for all other towing and storage rates established throughout the State of Ohio. If PPI rates remain stagnant, other rates will as well.

 

Attached to this letter is an Information Request Form. We ask that your company participate in the process by filling out the form with information we believe will be essential to assist our advocacy effort. Your company name and/or any other identifying information will not be included in any OTRLC work product. Your information will be sent directly to our lawyers and lobbying team at Shumaker Advisors and will be kept strictly confidential. Further, all information used in the process will be aggregated and displayed in the same manner. In other words, no information will be associated with any individual company.

 

 

The following information will be critical to our advocacy efforts:

 

1.)  The total number of PPI tows your company performed in 2022 (divided by weight class);

2.)  The number of PPI tows performed in 2022 that were ordered by law enforcement;

3.)  The number of PPI tows performed in 2022 that were ordered by private property owners;

 

4.)  The total number of PPI vehicles released in 2022, and total number of those vehicles that went unclaimed in 2022.

5.)  Your percentage increase in the following costs incurred during the 2018 calendar year versus the 2022 calendar year:

a.    Average salary or hourly wage;

b.    Yearly insurance premiums;

c.    Costs to purchase and maintain equipment (including but not limited to wreckers, trucks, trailers, tires, etc.); and

d.    Average fuel costs.

6.)  If your company purchased or serviced certain equipment in 2018, then purchased or serviced identical or comparable equipment in 2022, please provide invoices or other documents demonstrating the price difference.

 

Please review the enclosed Information Request Form and complete the survey by January 31, 2023. TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY – EITHER CLICK THE SURVEY LINK BELOW OR DOWNLOAD THE FORM AND RETURN IT BY E-MAIL TO BRIAN COULTER AND JOE HOLLABAUGH, our attorney and lobbyist who will independently compile and aggregate the information:

 

Brian Coulter, Esq.

Brouse McDowell LPA

bcoulter@brouse.com

(330) 286-7551

 

Joe Hollabaugh

Shumaker Advisors

jhollabaugh@shumakeradvisors.com

(330) 519-9224

 

Thank you for your willingness to help the industry and assist our efforts. Your participation in this survey will be a tremendous benefit to the industry and the OTRLC as we advocate for much needed increases to the PPI rates.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

The Ohio Towing and Recovery

Legislative Committee (OTRLC)

 

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY ONLINE

 

OR
CLICK HERE TO DOWLOAD THE SURVEY FORM

 

OTRLC Information Request Form

 

1.    How many total PPI tows did your company perform in 2022? _____________________

 

2.    How many of the total PPI tows referenced in your response to Question 1, above, were ordered by law enforcement? ____________________________

 

3.    How many of the total PPI tows referenced in your response to Question 1, above, were ordered by private property owners? ________________________

 

4.    How many of the total PPI tows referenced in your response to Question 1, above, went unclaimed? ________________________

 

5.    How many of the total PPI tows referenced in your response to Question 1, above, were vehicles with a Manufacturers’ Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (“GVWR”) of 10,000 pounds or less? _________________________

 

6.    How many of the total PPI tows referenced in your response to Question 1, above, were vehicles with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more? _________________________

 

7.    How many of the total PPI tows referenced in your response to Question 1, above, were vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more? _______________________

 

8.    What was your average salary/hourly wage in 2018? __________________________

 

9.    What was your average salary/hourly wage in 2022? __________________________

 

10. What did you pay in insurance premiums in 2018? __________________________

 

11. What did you pay in insurance premiums in 2022? __________________________

 

12. What were your average fuel costs in 2018? __________________________

 

13. What were your average fuel costs in 2022? __________________________

 

14. What did you pay for new equipment and equipment maintenance in 2018? Attach additional pages if needed. _____________________________________________________________

 

15. What did you pay for new equipment and equipment maintenance in 2022? Attach additional pages if needed. _____________________________________________________________

 

16. If your company purchased or serviced certain equipment in 2018, then purchased or

serviced identical or comparable equipment in 2022, please attach copies of the invoices or other documents that demonstrate the price difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio Towing & Recovery Legislative Committee |

Contact: jhollabaugh@shumakeradvisors.com | 330-519-9224

 

 

105 LoadingLikes0 Comments