Attorney General Jackson Announces Judgment in North Carolina’s First Discriminatory Towing Case; Clear Precedent Set

Defendant will pay $30,000 to vehicle owners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 16, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
919-538-2809

Download this video here.

RALEIGH - Attorney General Jeff Jackson today announced a judgment against David Jewel Satterfield and his Charlotte-based companies, A1 Towing Solutions and Automobile Recovery and Parking Enforcement, for allegations of racially targeting drivers, illegally booting and towing their vehicles, and price gouging.

This judgment, reached by the North Carolina Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Division and Civil Rights Unit, is North Carolina's first in a discriminatory towing case. It will create a powerful precedent going forward.

"We had evidence that the defendant broke price gouging laws and engaged in racially targeted towing" said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "This judgment will force him to pay back the victims and it will set a clear precedent: If you run a towing company that breaks that law, we are going to take you to court, and we're going to stop you."

The Department of Justice sued Satterfield in 2020 for unlawfully booting and towing trucks that were delivering food, water, and other medical supplies during the pandemic, and then charging upwards of $4,000 for the release of these vehicles. In some cases, the truck driver presented Satterfield with a written parking permit or parked their truck before he installed signs giving notice that their vehicles would be towed, but the defendant still towed their truck and charged them excessively high fees to release it.

Based on information obtained from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which maintains records of all tows within the county, the Department of Justice determined that Satterfield towed vehicles owned by African-Americans at an alarmingly high rate and almost exclusively operated in areas of Charlotte that have a majority African-American population. Further, some African American consumers alleged that Satterfield called them racial epithets and assaulted them when attempting to tow their vehicles. Today's judgment prohibits Satterfield from engaging in any business practice that discriminates on the basis of race or color.

As a result of the judgment, Satterfield, and any current or future towing companies he owns or manages, are prohibited from taking several actions. Drivers whose vehicles were unlawfully towed or who were required to pay excessive prices to get their vehicles back will receive restitution totaling a combined $30,000. In addition, the defendants:

• Cannot tow vehicles without first getting permission from the owner of the property that the vehicle is on.
• Cannot charge excessive amounts for towing.
• Cannot put boots on commercial vehicles - like the trucks used to deliver food and water during the pandemic.
• Cannot threaten vehicle owners/drivers.
• Cannot tow vehicles from private lots unless the lots are clearly marked with signs.
• Cannot hold onto commercial cargo obtained through a nonconsensual tow.
• Cannot charge separately for towing and impounding the separate parts of a tractor-trailer.
• Cannot boot a vehicle while the driver is in it without first informing the driver or giving the driver a chance to move the vehicle.
• Cannot charge DMV filing fees when no such fee is required.
• Cannot require consumers to schedule a time to pick up their vehicle and then charge them for a delay in the pickup caused by the defendant.

If Satterfield violates the terms of this judgment, he will be required to pay the state of North Carolina $110,000.

A copy of the consent judgment is available here.

###