§ 20-520.1 Acceptance of major credit cards as prerequisite to participation in city towing programs; violations.
AC § 20-520.1
a. For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 1. "City towing program" shall mean the directed accident response program established pursuant to section 20-518 of this subchapter, the special accident response districts established pursuant to section 20-518.1 of this subchapter, the rotation tow program established pursuant to section 20-519 of this subchapter, the removal of disabled vehicles on highways pursuant to authorization by the department of transportation or the police department, and any program whereby a city agency, pursuant to law, rule or agreement, directs a towing business to tow a vehicle without the prior consent of such vehicle's owner for any reason other than the towing of a vehicle in satisfaction of a judgment for an outstanding debt to the city.
2."Major credit card" shall mean MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover. b. No towing business shall participate in any city towing program, unless such towing business shall: (i) satisfactorily demonstrate to the agency administering such program or authorizing such participation, that such business accepts at least two major credit cards for towing in accordance with generally accepted business practices; (ii) notify such agency in writing of the major credit cards accepted and any changes in the major credit cards such towing business accepts; and (iii) display decals identifying the major credit cards accepted on all tow trucks used to tow vehicles in the city towing program in a manner to be prescribed by the commissioner. c. Any person participating in a city towing program who shall: (i) fail to accept at least two major credit cards; or (ii) refuse to accept a credit card which such person has informed the administering agency is accepted pursuant to subdivision b of this section, shall, after notice and opportunity to be heard, be liable for a penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). Any such person who has been found guilty of three such violations within the preceding twenty-four month period shall be removed from participation in such program for a period of time to be determined by the commissioner or administering agency but not to exceed one year; provided, however that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any contract entered into between a towing business and a city agency prior to the date of adoption by the city council of the local law which added this section.
