§ 22-13. Prohibited acts.
(a) 10-mile limit.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator licensed under the provisions of this subtitle to tow any motor vehicle to a place more than 10 miles from the place of removal without the consent of the owner or operator of the motor vehicle.
(b) False representations.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator by any statement or action, to make:
(1) any false representation to the effect that such person conducting the towing service represents or is approved by any organization which provides emergency road service for motor vehicles; or
(2) any false representation as to the name of the towing service.
(c) Towing conditioned on repair.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator at the scene of an accident or breakdown to require the execution of an agreement to have repair work performed as a condition of providing towing service.
(d) Use of public space.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator to use any public space for the accommodation of a motor vehicle removed from the scene of an accident or breakdown, except as the use of any such space may be directed by a member of the Police Department.
(e) Unbidden presence at scene.
It shall be unlawful for any tow truck operator to furnish any towing service at the scene of an accident or breakdown unless he has been authorized or called to such scene by the owner or operator of the motor vehicle or by a member of the Police Department.
(f) Employing "spotters".
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator to employ or compensate individuals, commonly referred to as "spotters", whose primary task is to report the presence of unauthorized parked vehicles for the purposes of towing or removal, and impounding.
(g) Payments for right to tow.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator to compensate the owner or agent of the owner of a parking lot or other facility for the right to tow vehicles.
(h) Delay in delivery to storage facility.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service or tow truck operator to fail to immediately deliver any vehicle towed under this subtitle to its customarily used storage facility as provided for in the license issued by the Director of Finance.
(i) Denying immediate right of recovery.
It shall be unlawful for any towing service to deny the owner or the owner's agent immediate and continuous opportunity, 24 hours a day, to retake possession of the vehicle, from the time the vehicle was received at the storage facility.