WE PROMISE TO FOLLOW UP WITH
THEM TOMORROW.
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THOSE
SAFE CLEAR TOW TRUCKS ON HOUSTON
FREEWAYS.
THEY'RE PART OF A CITY PROGRAM
TO HELP GET CARS SAFELY OFF THE
FREEWAY AFTER AN ACCIDENT OR A
BREAKDOWN.
ONE COMPANY WITH A VALUABLE SAFE
CLEAR CONTRACT IS FACING DOZENS
OF COMPLAINTS AFTER DRIVERS SAY
THEY WERE FORCED TO PAY
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AFTER A
SIMPLE TOW OR RISK LOSING THEIR
VEHICLES.
CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATE
ESDISCOVERRED THE --
INVESTIGATES DISCOVERED THE
OWNER OF THAT COMPANY HAS TIES
TO CITY LEADERS WHO VOTED TO
APPROVE THAT CONTRACT.
AMY DAVIS IS GETTING TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE GROWING COMPLAINTS
AND AS TO HOW THAT DEAL GOT
APPROVED.
Reporter: IF YOUR CAR BREAKS
DOWN OR YOU CRASH, ANYWHERE
BETWEEN 288 AND 45, THE WRECKER
COMING TO YOUR RESCUE IS FROM
USA AUTO COLLISION CENTER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
Reporter: THE CITY GUARANTEED
IT WHEN COUNCIL AWARDED THEM A
CONTRACT.
I'M ITEM IS CARRIED.
THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE THAT
CONTRACT.
Reporter: MARY GOT STUCK WITH
A NEARLY $3,000 BILL WHEN THE
COMPANY CHARGED HER TO TEAR DOWN
HER CAR.
I WAS LIKE WHAT?
Reporter: CHANNEL 2
INVESTIGATES DISCOVERED NO LESS
THAN 55 COMPLAINTS FROM
CONSUMERS JUST LIKE HER SINCE
2013.
I DON'T BELIEVE CITY COUNCIL
UNDERSTANDS THE EXTENT OF THE
SCAM.
Reporter: KEN SAYS HE KNOWS
BECAUSE HE'S IN THE GOING
BUSINESS.
IT'S CALLED FLIPPING.
THEY PREY ON A CONSUMER WHO
JUST GOTTEN INVOLVED IN AN
ACCIDENT AND THE WORD FLIPPING
LITERALLY MEANS THAT THEY FLIP
FROM IT A REGULATED SITUATION TO
A NONREGULATED SITUATION.
Reporter: WHEN YOU'RE IN AN
ACCIDENT, AND POLICE CALL A SAFE
CLEAR WRECKER, THE WRECKER CAN
ONLY CHARGE YOU 155.50.
ONCE YOU SIGN ANY DOCUMENTS
APPROVING OTHER SERVICES, EVEN
UNKNOWINGLY, YOU'RE NO LONGER
PROTECTED.
THAT MEANS THE SKY'S THE
LIMIT.
THEY CAN CHARGE YOU ANYTHING
THAT THEY WANT.
Reporter: AND THEY ARE.
THE OWNER OF USA AUTO IS RICARDO
GONZALES.
HE PLEADED GUILTY TO INSURANCE
FRAUD IN 2013 AND FELONY THEFT
IN 2008.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
LICENSING AND REGULATION FINED
HIS COMPANIES MORE THAN $183,000
FOR VIOLATIONS OF TOWING AND
STORAGE LAWS.
BUT LAST NOVEMBER THE CITY
COUNCILMAN HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT
THE OWNER.
HE HAS PLAYED BY THE RULES.
HE'S MADE MISTAKES LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND HE'S LEARNED FROM THEM.
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD, MAYOR
TO, SEE HIM GROW HIS BUSINESS.
Reporter: WHY DID YOU
RECOMMEND?
IT WASSENS RECOMMENDING.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
I WAS SUPPORTIVE AND
APPRECIATIVE THAT A SMALL
BUSINESS IN MY DISTRICT HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A PRIME.
Reporter: HE ASSUMED ANY
BUSINESS THAT MADE ITS WAY TO
COUNCIL HAD BEEN VETTED.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW
THIS HAPPENED.
Reporter: HERE'S HOW.
GONZALES OWNS THREE COMPANIES.
ALL ON THIS SAME LOT.
USA AUTO HAS THE CITY CONTRACT.
STAND STAN'S WRECKERS IS A
STORAGE LOT AND THEN THERE'S A
BODY SHOP.
USA AUTO TOWS THE CARS HERE.
CONSUMERS LIKE PAT TRICK ARE
LEAD TO THIS PINDOW -- PATRICK
ARE LED TO THIS WINDOW TO SIGN
DOCUMENTS.
ONCE THEY HAVE IT ON THEIR
PREMISES, YOU CAN'T GET THE CAR
OFF.
Reporter: HE TOLD EMPLOYERS
TOLD HIM HE WAS ONLY SIGNING TO
RENT A CAR.
WHAT HE SIGNED WERE DOCUMENTS
TRANSFERRING HIS JEEP TO THE
BODY SHOP.
THIS IS A CLASSIC RIP-OFF.
Reporter: HIS FINAL BILL
SHOWS HE PAID $230 TO TRANSFER
HIS CAR FROM THE STORAGE LOT TO
THE BODY SHOT AND TO TRANSFER IT
BACK AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THE TWO
BUSINESSES ARE FEET APART.
ONE, TWO, THREE.
LITERALLY.
13, 14.
WE COUNTED.
28.
28 FEET FROM DOOR TO DOOR.
STILL, HOUSTON POLICE SAY THE
COMPANY WITH THE SAFECLEAR
CONTRACT, 28 STEPS IN THE OTHER
DIRECTION, OWNED BY THE SAME
MAN, HAS A CLEAN RECORD.
YOU'RE COMFORTABLE TELLING THOSE
CONSUMERS BE, YES, THIS IS THE
COMPANY YOU SHOULD BE USING?
WELL, LIKE I SAID, THE TOWING
COMPANY AND THE CRITERIA WERE
ESTABLISHED.
THERE WAS NOT THE VEHICLES
STORAGE FACILITY WAS NOT
COMBINED WITH THE TOWING ASPECT.
Reporter: AMY DAVIS WITH
CRMS.
WE'RE HERE TO SEE RICHARD
GONZALES?
HE WOULDN'T TALK ON COMING UP.
AND WHILE THE MAYOR WAS NOT IN
OFFICE WHEN RICHARD GONZALES GOT
THE CONTRACT, WE FOUND THIS
PHOTO OF THE TWO TOGETHER.
AND A TOTAL OF $10,000 IN
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS GONZALES
MADE TO TURNER AND HIS RUN FOR
MAYOR.
WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM
THE MAYOR.
IF YOU THINK THE CITY SHOULD END
ITS CONTRACT WITH THE THIS
COMPANY, CONTACT YOUR ELECTED
CITY LEADERS AND LET THEM KNOW.
IF YOU EVER NEED A SAFECLEAR GO,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO -- TOW, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO TAKE YOUR CAR TO