Towing Overcharge Settlement

At a glance

What: Committee Report 246(26) authorized a global settlement of towing claims with All Island Wreckers under Contract MA-CSD-2300062, aimed at people who claimed they were overcharged for towing.
Outcome: adopted September 9, 2026, 9-0, with Tupola voting aye with reservations. It was taken with other balance-of-committee-reports items on Tupola's motion (seconded by Kiaʻāina).
Legal terms: Deputy Corporation Counsel Pang told Weyer that All Island Wreckers is not a party to the settlement and anyone accepting it is barred from seeking more from the city or the contractor, which prevents later claims that could lead the contractor to seek recovery from the city.
Concerns: Tupola said she supports compensating overcharged people but questioned the city's documentation of non-standard difficult hookup charges, noted the contractor had been told such charges could continue, cited the city's history of late payments to the contractor, and called for an independent review of how towing contracts are managed and paid. Perry of All Island Wreckers gave general comment. Tupola filed a disclosure of interest (CC-167(26)).

City Council journal (draft minutes, not yet adopted), regular meeting of September 9, 2026: https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/document-download?id=29318

Adopted 9-0 with reservations from Tupola.