NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — New questions now about a towing company first exposed by NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
We began our reporting on Priority Wrecker Service last summer with customer complaints.
Then we told you how the Tennessee Attorney General sued the wrecker service late last year.
Now we've found that the AG's Office is moving forward with its case against Priority Wrecker Service and why.
Three months ago, the Tennessee Attorney General sued Priority Wrecker Service, accusing the towing company, its sister company Jonny's Towing, and the owner of both businesses, Jonathan Maye, of unfair and deceptive business practices and repeatedly violating the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.
Now the AG's Office apparently has had enough.
We first told you about Priority Wrecker and all of the problems customers were having last summer.
Gabriel Allensworth told NewsChannel 5 Investigates, "They [Priority Wrecker Service] absolutely took advantage of me," while Gerald McHenry shared with us, "I'm watching them drive off with my truck."
But complaints like that didn't stop, even after the company was sued by the state.
Weeks after the lawsuit was filed, customer David Pucek contacted us.
"So I figured I'd send you an email just saying, 'hey, they're still out there doing the same thing,'" he told us after his own encounter with the towing company.
Now the AG's Office has gone back to court, describing in recently filed documents, how Priority Wrecker still has not responded to the lawsuit and that its gone through at least four attorneys since December.
The AG alleges this is part of "a deliberate strategy [by the company] to delay the...process, evade responsibility...and continue their unfair and deceptive practices."
As customers have shared with us, the company has allegedly used questionable pricing, bait and switch tactics, and undisclosed fees, and threatened to impound customers' vehicles, and forced them to pay in cash or through payment apps after leading customers to believe they could use a credit card.
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti described Priority Wrecker Service back in early December as "a scammy, scammy operation," and he told us he was looking forward to holding the company accountable.
Now his office is asking that a judge take immediate action against the business.
The motion asks that Priority Wrecker be ordered to stop deceptive pricing and to follow all laws and rules for wrecker services; that owner Johnny Maye and his companies be fined a thousand dollars for each violation; that restitution be paid to customers who were victims of the businesses' illegal acts; and that Maye not be allowed to own a towing company or work in the towing industry in Tennessee for five years.
The case is set to be heard April 10th.
When the lawsuit was filed, the AG's Office had received more than 60 complaints. Since then, nearly two dozen more have come in. If you were a customer of Priority Wrecker or Jonny’s Towing and you would like to file a complaint, contact the Division of Consumer Affairs at tn.gov/consumer.
We did reach out to Jonathan Maye, the owner of the towing companies for comment, as we have throughout our reporting on his company. And, once again, he did not respond.
PREVIOUS REPORTING ON PRIORITY WRECKER SERVICE:
Despite lawsuit by AG, customers still complaining about towing company's business practices
Tennessee Attorney General sues Priority Wrecker towing company for deceptive and unfair business practices
Metro Legal Director expresses concerns after seeing NewsChannel 5 investigation of towing company
Customers upset that towing company is operating in Nashville when they shouldn't be
