Scott Lewis Exposes Shady Towing Contractor Being Shady

If you happen to do work for towing contractor Tom Larson, you might want to get paid in cash. Up front. Because WXYZ's Scott Lewis reports that while Larson may be making a bundle towing cars from shopping centers without good reason, he doesn't seem like he's all that eager to pay his own bills. Tradesmen, gas station owners, landlords, even Larson's own employees all say the guy owes them money.

One man says he was stiffed for $8,500.  Another says Larson cheated him out of $1,800.  A third man says Larson got him for $2,000.  A former employee says Larson cheated him out of $600 for work that he did. They all say they think the towing contractor deliberately took advantage of them and they want him stopped before other’s get burned.

 

"In conversations with other business that I know, ah, that's his M-O, that's just how he does it, that's his style of business. He looks for the smaller companies, and he just takes advantage of them," said Jeff Gayden, a small businessman who says Larson took him for $2,000.

 

Larson has made enemies with his towing practices too.  His company has a contract to tow people who park illegally at a strip mall near the Detroit Medical Center.  The company sends spotters out.  As soon as they see someone they think is not a customer, they hook them and tow them away. When people find out what Larson’s is charging, they hit the roof. Larson’s charges $400 for the tow, cash only, and $60 for overnight storage if people don’t pick their cars up by his 5 p.m. quitting time.