When a Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputy determines that a car on public property has been abandoned, or that an oversized recreational vehicle is illegally parked, they slap on a big, bright orange sticker to alert the owner the car will be towed in 10 days. The vehicles, county policy says, present a hazard to “public health, safety and welfare.”
Yet, the tow truck rarely arrives.
County lawmakers and officials from the sheriff’s office say the companies that tow the vehicles view the work as a net loss. They are required to hold the cars and RVs for more than two weeks, taking up expensive real estate in their lots. During that time, they say it’s not uncommon for vehicle owners to try to break in to reclaim their rides, creating undesired risk…