In response to reports of fees as high as $800 to tow away illegally parked cars in Seattle, newly appointed state Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-46) has proposed legislation that would give the state utilities and transportation commission the authority to cap towing fees. The bill---Pollet's first---would also limit fees for the first 24 hours after a car is towed to $250.

In a statement, Pollet said, "People make honest mistakes in a rush to get to work or pick up their children. Towing companies shouldn’t get to hold them hostage by charging them rates comparable to a month’s rent.”

Currently, private towing companies can charge whatever they want to tow away cars that are illegally parked on private property.

Pollet's bill is co-sponsored by several other Seattle-area representatives, including Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (D-46), Mary Lou Dickerson (D-36), Bob Hasegawa (D-11), Eric Pettigrew (D-37), and Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34).