Complaint Review: Cedar Towing & Auction Inc. - Minneapolis Minnesota

Cedar Towing and Auction, Inc., in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is one of the largest - if not THE largest - towing companies in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Cedar Towing has a long history of towing cars indiscriminately, then jacking up the fees the poor car owners have to pay to get them out of impound.

The tow truck drivers from Cedar Towing are well-known for prowling low-income neighborhoods, looking for cars to tow for extra profit. Many of the victims of their towing scams are poor people, including many immigrants who are unfamiliar with the system and easily conned.  Cedar Towing preys on unsuspecting victims, and will even cruise private parking lots around Minneapolis, St. Paul and the suburbs in their search for cars to tow. If it's a slow night, you might become the next victim targeted by these scammers! Cedar Towing also has a well-documented history of damaging towed cars, and they refuse to cover the cost of those repairs.

I have first-hand knowledge of what Cedar Towing can do. They towed my car right out of my own apartment's parking lot! I called my landlord and he said he never called any towing company. Besides, he knows all of our cars, and has no reason to call a tow truck. Our apartments don't even contract with Cedar Towing! The negligent driver for Cedar Towing tore the front bumper off in the process, and there were yellow paint marks scuffed along the driver's side. They refuse to pay for those damages, which amount to over $4000. I still had to pay $340 (cash only!) to get my vehicle out of the lot.

I called Thomas Rodrigue, vice president of Cedar Towing to discuss my damages. He just laughed, then shouted some obscenities and hung up. I tried reaching out to other employees at Cedar Towing, including Cassandra Rodrigue, Tamara Rodrigue, even Julie Rodrigue, the president of Cedar Towing & Auction, Inc., in the hope of finding a resolution. No such luck. None of those ripoff artists would give me the time of day. I think litigation is the only way for me to get justice from these thieves. But I'll have to stand in line, as there are dozens of other lawsuits pending against Cedar Towing & Auction, Inc.

Over the years, there have been many complaints to authorities regarding Cedar Towing's fraudulent and dishonest practices, but the charges rarely stick.  Cedar Towing even has an A-plus rating by the BBB, despite the many complaints from ripped off people. Don't waste your time with the BBB.

But now the tide is turning against the crooks at Cedar Towing and Auction, Inc.  There is now a fraud investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, looking into some of the shady and unlawful practices that have long gone on at Cedar Towing & Auction, Inc. The police executed a search warrant and have seized documents and records from Cedar Towing. It's all over the news here. You can read the news report here:
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/133668323.html

Now I hear from a friend on the police force that several members of the Rodrigue family have criminal histories, including some felony convictions.  No surprise there.

This sort of dishonesty from criminal businesses like Cedar Towing & Auction must be stopped.  Let's hope the local authorities bust these con artists once and for all!