In Gainesville, roam towing will soon be banned.
In a 5-2 vote Thursday, the Gainesville City Commission passed a motion to eliminate all roam towing and immobilization in the city.
That means improperly parked vehicles cannot be removed from an area without explicit direction from the property owner.
This also applies to actions like booting or covering windshields to prevent a car from driving.
According to city documents, commissioners asked staff last month to prepare two options for the ordinance: Get rid of it, or amend it so that roam towing is only allowed between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. at large residential complexes.
Commissioners chose the first option. The current city ordinance allows for roam towing, but commissioners directed staff to amend the document.
The commission still has to vote on the final language of the ordinance. That'll take place at a future meeting.