When It's Got To Go...
You know the jingle
It happens all the time. A family returning from work, a student rushing back to move items out of storage, an unhoused person’s only place to charge their phone—suddenly their car disappears. What follows is a harrowing mess of ransom‑level fees, opaque rules, and phone calls where every delay means another $50‑$100 in added storage charges. In Des Moines, unfortunately, a company called Crow Tow has become synonymous with that fear, particularly among those who can least afford it.
Take a glance at a Reddit and you’ll find multiple complaint boards. The language is raw, but it’s real—and rooted in desperation. Many share nearly identical horror stories: cars towed from clearly legal spaces, fees skyrocketing while drivers scramble for cash, personal belongings like work and school computers, medications, childcare supplies—locked inside inaccessible trunks.
Crow Tow has also targeted visitors, tourists, Airbnb guests, even unhoused individuals charging phones in public lots—including my unhoused family member who’s only means of shelter was his car.
Crow Tow was initially awarded the City of Des Moines’ towing contract in 2014, marking the start of its municipal relationship. That contract was renewed beginning in 2020 and was structured to expire on February 28, 2023, with provisions allowing for either a one-year extension or a new bidding process, but ended that relationship in 2021 after a flood of public complaints and political pushback.
In 2022, Little Village Magazine reported:
U.S. PIRG compiled a list of 14 fair practice protections for motorists. Based on their “common-sense” suggestions, Iowa is ranked with Alabama, Alaska, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Vermont with having the fewest protections from abusive towing practices.
Iowa law does not require towing companies to photograph vehicles before they are towed, to accept credit card payments, to have designated hours for vehicle pick up, to release cars at no charge or for a smaller “drop fee” before a vehicle has been completely removed from the property, to reimburse drivers for vehicles damaged during the towing process, or to allow access to personal belongings (including emergency items such as wallets, keys and medication).
In 2022 alone, the company impounded between 20,000 and 25,000 vehicles. According to insiders and court records, its drivers are paid bonuses—often $30 or more—for each vehicle towed from private lots, incentivizing them to hunt cars aggressively.
Think about that: when towing becomes a numbers game, mistakes aren’t easily forgiven. They become profit.
This month, Crow Tow entered a new contract with Polk County, effective July 1, 2025 through June 2028.
Abysmal Legal Conditions
The legal conditions in Iowa make this situation possible. The state earned an “F” grade for towing protections, one of only a few states that allow companies to designate a car “abandoned” within 10 days—even if it’s titled and paid for—then sell it without public auction and keep all proceeds.
Recently, Chris Costa, the president of a major local real-estate firm lost his towed $26,000 Honda CR-V within two weeks via a Crow Tow sale. He was only able to recover it because he had the resources and influence to challenge the sale. His story is not the rule—it’s the exception. Low‑income families would almost certainly never manage a victory, something Costa noted during an interview with The Des Moines Register.
Crow Tow’s unchecked model doesn’t just drain bank accounts—it disrupts lives. One tow can disable a parent from working, a student from attending classes, or someone without shelter from seeking help. Unhoused individuals who rely on automobiles as temporary storage or shelter see their only assets disappear virtually overnight.
Iowa’s lawmakers have tried to act. A bipartisan bill introduced in 2023 attempted to force signage clarity, allow owners to reclaim personal items without full fee payment, and prevent towing before permits are verified . But it stalled—stifled by Crow Tow lobbying, and other industry voices that defend the status quo. Meanwhile, city councilors discuss signage ordinances, but without statewide protections, the patchwork only leaves holes.
On a human level, this is theft dressed up as public service. It strains families, forces them into debt, damages trust, and contributes to the cycle of instability. Crow Tow isn’t simply towing cars that are a nuisance—it’s extracting financial blood from the veins of the vulnerable.
So what must happen next?
Statewide reform: Iowa desperately needs caps on towing and storage fees, requirements for clear public signage, allowance for reclaiming personal items, and mandatory pre-sale public auctions. Paying a storage bill shouldn’t cost more than the vehicle’s value.
Shift incentive structure: Bonuses for number of tows must end. Instead, tow companies should be rewarded for transparency, safe returns, and compliance with consumer protection standards.
Support for low‑income and unhoused individuals: Local governments should establish reclaim-fee hardship programs, legal clinics, and emergency relief funds to offset towing costs for the most vulnerable.
Public awareness: Communities need knowledge of their rights. That means community education, signage clarity, and smartphone apps to make towing terms transparent.
Every time I hear that Crow Tow commercial, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. Our city, our state, prides itself on caring for communities, supporting families, and lifting up the underrepresented. How can we champion those values while our neighbors face predation cloaked in service?
Predatory towing is not just a bad business strategy—it’s become a social crisis. The dislocated single parent, the student scrambling for cash, the unhoused person losing their temporary shelter: they all deserve justice. Until Crow Tow’s model is dismantled—until Iowa enacts real protections—these stories will keep surfacing, and our city’s promise will ring hollow.
It’s time to say enough. No more car ransoms. No more trauma. And certainly no more taking advantage of those already struggling to hold on.
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Thank you for bringing this to the attention of people who might not be aware of just how abusive the practices of Crow Tow are.
When the rich and powerful take advantage of the weak and poor, when statutes and laws are poorly written or non existent, companies that prey upon those without recourse, our collective society suffers. It will take a Governor who will champion this lack of justice to begin the remedy. Powerful lobbies should not be allowed to set aside the good for our Iowa citizens.