... Gratzianna is new Hall of Fame President... Beacon Software Expands Towlien.com Beacon Software expanded its TowLien.com lien-processing service and now includes Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New York and Florida. TowLien is a stepby-step, online process that includes national registration searches, vehicle history reports, lien letters, static forms and more. TowLien is available 24/7 and can be accessed from any web browser. Account set up is free, and customers pay per usage. Beacon said the work goes more efficiently, and legally, with the service. The company said the complete lien processing soon will be expanded to Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Montana and Tennessee. Registration searches are available in these states now. Associations may contact Beacon Software for more information on the Towing Association/TowLien Partnership Program. Source: Beacon Software.
Tower Rescues Trapped Woman A tower and a bylaw officer In Ottawa, Canada, rescued a woman who became trapped under a van when she was struck by a vehicle. The two men were working together to clear snow for the city when they witnessed the crash in February. “We were driving by here to go for breakfast,” said tower Justin Morin-Wilson. That’s when the pair saw a van hit something as it pulled out of a Montreal Road parking lot. A 57-year-old woman was pinned under the vehicle. “The driver’s side tire, she was right underneath it. And it was just her chest and head sticking out with her hands,” said Morin-Wilson, who grabbed the jack from his truck and ran over to ease the pressure off the woman. Within minutes, emergency crews arrived and managed to free the woman. “I tried to do all that I could, what I would want someone to do if someone in my family was under there,” said MorinWilson. Source: Ottawa.ctv.ca.
Berkeley Approves Boots In Berkeley, Calif., the city council voted 8-0 in February to use immobilizing boots on cars with unpaid parking tickets rather than towing the vehicles. Tow company owners in Berkeley say they will lose about a third of their business under the new policy. The city now has a contract with PayLock Inc. to provide a boot that is placed on a car’s wheel when the owner has five or more unpaid tickets. The owner can call a “help center” to pay off the tickets, along with an additional $140 fee, and get a code that unlocks the boot and drive off. A $500 credit card deposit is supposed to ensure the driver will return the boot to a central location. “It really doesn’t pay to say, ‘Hey, what about us?’ ” Bob Berry said, owner of Berry Brothers towing in Oakland. “People don’t really have much sympathy for tow owners or police officers on the enforcement side. It’s certainly not going to be a good thing for us.” Source: mercurynews.com.
Hall of Fame Sets New Board, Officers The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum recently announced its newly elected officers and board members of the museum. The officers through September 2012 are Bill The International Towing & Gratzianna, presiRecovery Hall of Fame and Museum dent; Troy Barnett, frey Godwin, Al Gregg, Andy Hovfirst VP; Quinn Piening, second anes, Will Miller, Randy Olson, VP; Bert Bertling, treasurer; and Jerry Riggs, Warren Roosevelt, Donna Brock Mesaros, secretary. Angela Roper, George Stevens, The board members through Tom Tedford, Terry Warford, Steve September 2011 are Jerry Bullock, Welchel, and Shannon Yates. George Connolly, Dick Frasier, Jef-
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