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Steve Myers
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FLINT - The city may be done with Complete Towing, but Complete isn't done with the city.
Complete owner Jim Patton claims Mayor Don Williamson shorted him more than $150,000 on the city's final payment to settle outstanding debts to the company.
The city's $207,000 didn't include about three months in storage fees the city has racked up since Williamson fired Complete in August.
Although Complete hasn't done any new tow jobs for the city, Patton said the city left about 30 seized drug cars and more than 230 scrap cars in his lot. As a result, Patton has been charging the city about $2,700 a day in storage fees.
Patton said he has asked the city to write a new check for the full amount but claims City Attorney Trachelle C. Young told him, "We'll see you in court."
With both sides so far apart on the actual amount owed, Young said the city will file a lawsuit against Complete this week.
The city also plans to put a stop payment on the $207,000 check it already gave Patton.
Young said the city's original check included projected storage costs but claims that Patton stymied the city's earlier effort to get rid of the cars with an auction.
The city canceled the Complete deal after allegations that vehicles there were damaged, property was missing from cars and residents had no valid process to lodge complaints with the company, Young said.
"That's just not true," Patton said. "We've had zero claims."
The Flint-based company also will lay off 10-12 workers that it can no longer afford without the city towing contract, Patton said.
"These are people who live and work in Flint," he said.
The city was set to renew its towing contract with Complete in June, but Williamson, citing unspecified citizen complaints, canceled it Aug. 17.
Williamson then rankled City Council members by designating six replacement tow companies without council approval.
One of those companies, Burton City Towing, began removing some of the city's stored vehicles from Complete last week, Patton said.
"This is just typical of how the city does business," Patton said. "It's a mess."
Full Story:
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-25/1101140475154210.xml |
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Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:39 pm |
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