MCB News

$22 Million Judgement for Predatory Towing

4/27/2018

A Maryland judge in Montgomery County has enforced a $22 million judgement against G&G Towing and property owners who used G&G services.
The company was accused of predatory towing after an NBC report showed “spotters,” employees who monitor parking lots and call in nearby tow trucks the second a violation occurs. “Spotting” is an illegal practice in Montgomery County.
“There were thousands of tows that were done illegally,” said Eric Friedman, director of the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection. “(G&G Towing) was predatory and overly aggressive.”
Up to 26,000 local drivers could receive $214 from the suit.
If you are dealing with overinflated tow bills and need your truck and trailer released expediently, don’t hesitate to call Morgan, Cohen & Bach at (520) 442-1303.

Highest and Lowest Paying Cities in America

4/26/2018

When considering how to maximize how much you are being paid, many people focus on some obvious changes. Work ethic, results, and experience are big factors but one most people don’t consider is location.
Most salaries are based on what else everyone around you is making. If you are in a small town, it will be harder to make the same amount of money as if you were in a major metropolitan area.
In a new study from howmuch.com, researchers show us which cities we should think about moving to if we want to make the most for our work.
Major cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle are high in the list of high wage payers.
For more info on everyday statistics you can visit www.howmuch.com

Arizona Cracking Down on Tow Companies

4/24/2018

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has signed into law new guidelines affecting tow companies and their policies.
    HB2306 passed state legislature with support from both parties and will take effect later this summer with some provisions being delayed until Jan. 1st, 2019.
    The law gives wrecker/tow companies new requirements for the handling of vehicles after an accident. Now, after an insurance company pays to release a truck and shows proof of ownership the tow company has until end of day to release the vehicle.
    The bill also prevents a number of small charges such as examination fees, where owners must pay to inspect the truck after the tow. Often where many bills have racked up the charges.
    The Arizona Attorney General is also now authorized to prosecute multiple violations of these rules as a class 3 misdemeanor which could include up to 1 month of jail time.
    If you find a tow company overcharging you for a non consensual tow, call Morgan Cohen & Bach at (520) 442-1303 to have professionals audit your bill and work for you to combat any abusive charges.

Prescott Reconsiders Tow Procedure

4/19/2018

Prescott, AZ
    Prescott Valley Police Department (PVPD) are changing their non consensual towing procedures after a local woman complained of inflated charges from a towing company. She claimed she was unable to pay the $585 bill after a wreck involving her estranged husband.
This amount was much higher than what PVPD Sgt. Rob Brown expected the bill to be so he decided to review the invoices from the tow company.
  When the statement arrived it was immediately clear something was wrong. Numbers were scratched out and new ones written in, the driver charged extra mileage because they drove to the incorrect tow yard, and the towing fee was much higher than what was listed in the company’s fee schedule.
  “This statement is false and borders on fraudulent,” PVPD Chief Bryan Jarrell said in a letter to the company dated Feb. 8.
Since then, PVPD has suspended the company from its tow rotation list and implemented a review of the towing practices of companies called for non consensual tows.
“We discovered that almost every towing company is engaged in the practice where they charge an individual the very maximum allowed under our prior regulation,” Jarrell said.
PVPD has created a new set of guidelines for non consensual tows and in July will pick the top 10 tow companies that meet the new requirements for its rotation list.
    “We’ll try to do a better job of making sure they are treating our citizens with respect and the proper customer service that we do,” Brown said.
    If you are the victim of a non consensual tow situation and are facing exorbitant fees, call Morgan, Cohen & Bach at (520) 442-1303 to have experienced negotiators fight for your right to a fair bill.

A Destructive Winter

4/17/2018

This weekend’s storm brought a destructive force down upon the East Coast.
    Over 33,000 people in North Carolina lost power after a tornado destroyed parts of the electrical grid. Many schools are closing as well due to heavy rainfall and tornado damage.
  Minnesota beat their record for largest snowfall in April with 14.9 inches being recorded at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. This also makes the storm the 12th largest snowfall in the state’s history. Other areas of the state received 2 feet of snow over the weekend as well.
Virginia’s Governor, Ralph Northam, declared a state of emergency Monday after storms tore their way through western areas of his state. Damage to major infrastructure has many schools and roads closed.
The North East got its share of heavy rainfall with most states experiencing instances of flash flooding. States have been working to clean roads and damage.
    The National Weather Service predicts heavy rain and severe weather in the Southeastern United States over the next week.
    If you experienced an accident as part of this inclement weather are and dealing with an inflated Non-Consensual Tow situation because of it don’t hesitate to call Morgan, Cohen & Bach at (520) 442-1303.

Over 7,000 Daimler Trucks Recalled

4/12/2018

Daimler Trucks is recalling 7,128 heavy duty trucks due to an electrical system defect that increases the likelihood of their trucks catching fire.
Affected models are the Western Star 4700, 4900,5700, and 6900 model years 2017 - 2019.
According to a National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration report “a potential exists for contract between the power stud and bulkhead resulting in potential arcing” increasing the risk of fire.
Daimler will be notifying owners and dealers on May 21st and offers to inspect the pass-through power stud for clearance to the bulkhead and make necessary repairs for free.
If you have questions for Daimler you can contact their North American customer service line at 1-800-547-0712.

Timeline of an Unpaid Invoice

4/12/2018

Housing in the US

4/10/2018

How much does it cost to own a home? Well as every real estate agent has said “It's all about location location location.” A recent study from HowMuch.net, a cost information website, shows us how expensive homes are depending on which state you live in.
Hawaii has the most expensive real estate with an expected yearly salary of $153,000 to afford the average house. On the other hand West Virginia has the cheapest real estate with an expected yearly salary of $38,000 to afford the average house.
Homes on the east coast are surprisingly more affordable especially considering that there is much more land for development in the west. The most affordable housing being around the middle of the US leaning east.
You can review more studies at...
https://howmuch.net/

Winter Storm Wilbur on the Move

4/5/2018

Winter Storm Wilbur, the fifth nor’easter to hit the east coast since March, is leaving the Midwest and heading towards the coasts. With it comes wind speeds of 60mph, flooding, and even isolated tornadoes.
In Minnesota alone, authorities reported over 400 crashes due to severe weather conditions.
Meteorologists also warn of a larger system to follow that brings more snow to the Midwest United States on Friday and Northeast on Saturday.
If you experience a non-consensual tow situation because of this storm don’t hesitate to call Morgan Cohen & Bach for an expeditious and fair resolution.

Damage to East Coast Roads

4/3/2018

A study from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) has found that over the past 20 years, coastal roads in the Eastern United States have seen a 90% increase in flooding.
Researchers estimate that tidal nuisance flooding threatens over 7,500 miles of roadway along the East Coast; 400 miles of which is interstate road. Researchers also estimate that this flooding causes over 100 million hours of delays each year.
“As tidal coastal flooding increases in the coming years, there will also be issues with the transportation infrastructure,” said Jennifer Jacobs, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UNH. “In the future, with rising sea levels, we expect to see more frequent issues, more damage, and impact to roadways even farther inland.
You can read more from her interview in the article linked below.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/03/29/484796.htm