St. Martin News Network

I agree that most of these towing companies do not even have their paper in order. Who are checking them? What about police officers driving around with dark tinted windows and without the proper paperwork?

Duncan, how can someone file a complaint for theft when it was not a theft? You call yourself a lawman? You only saying this because you know we have a lot of backward people here who will believe you. Check the definition of theft and stop misleading the people.

Stop being a fool. If ur car was parked some where and when u come back and it is gone how do u call it. Did u give him permission 2 move ur car? No ..... so than its stolen simple

and what about blackdog is he illegal too ? i need to know because the police them like to work with him because he was a police and maybe the 75 us is devided between the police that call and the tow truck

me ain't arguing with backward people.

MR DUNCAN, I AGREE WITH YOU 1000%
THIS STUPIDNESS GOT TO STOP.
EVERYBODY BLOCKING PARKING FOR THEIR WIVES,AUNTS,UNCLES, SISTERS, KEEPER,BYSIDE,
AND THEN CALLING TOW TRUCK TO TAKE YOUR CAR.
YES....THAT IS STEALING, YOU ARE SO RIGHT.

MR DUNCAN YOU SHOULD SEND AROUND PUBLIC WORKS
AND TAKE AWAY ALL THE "BLOCKERS" AND FINE THE PEOPLE.
IT IS RIDICULOUS, WHEN YOU GO TO TOWN, SO I SIMPLY DON'T GO.
THEY KEEP THE PARKING PLACE FOR THEMSELVES, LET THEM BUY FROM THEMSELVES....SIMPLE AS THAT.

I LISTENED TO THE PRESS BRIEFING.......
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THIS, BUT.......
THE WAY YOU SPOKE ABOUT SABA AND STATIA WITH CRIMINALS.......WELL THAT I THINK ....WAY OUT.
HERE WE WANT TO PROMOTE THE GOOD WAY OF LIFE, AND YOU TELLING A CRIMINAL, HOW TO GET FREE...IN ST.MAARTEN,

BELIEVE ME, IT IS NOT "VERY EXPENSIVE" AS YOU SAID TO TAKE A CRIMINAL BETWEEN THE BES ISLANDS.

STATIA AIRPORT CAN TAKE AN ATR AIRCRAFT, SO PLEASE
DON'T PUSH THEM TO HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN
THE BES ISLANDS, AND BLOCK OUT ST.MAARTEN.

THE OLD PEOPLE SAY: IT IS BEST TO LEAVE SLEEPING DOGS ALONE.

By law, a third party, (police or tow truck company) is not allowed to remove a car. That car is private property and you need permission from the owner to (re)move it. Go ask a lawyer. As we all know, in St. Maarten, laws are made and rewritten by who ever thinks it is appropriate and no one questions it.
I once had an accident and when the towing company I requested to tow my car to the garage of my choice arrived on site, my car was gone. Officially it was stolen my the police, since they appointed a towing company (one of their friends) to remove it. What can you do? Take the police to court for theft? What a joke, you'd never be able to walk the street without being hara**ed. Long live the lawlessness!!!

well said

Minister you said a mouth full. Too many people have blockers at their business. Please published the law or ordinance in tourist magazines so they know as well. Our tourists are also experiencing this abuse for years.It leaves a bad impression of the island when a visitor park their cars in an area with no signs saying tow zones. They go to the police and they send them to the towing company. This has to stop. Mr Duncan please instruct your officers of the law.
Inform the citizens of thier rights and the police about the law. We will have a more civil society thereafter.

Lou Lou and the ex-police officer, owner of blackdog towinng company. Well Now that minister Duncan has finally dealt with this RIP deal thats going on between the traffic police and those VKS and Police officers that patrol in town.
Both of you will have to find another way to make fast money.
Well for the control unit and the VKS, that extra petty cash that was coming in sweet and fast is done.

I once had my vehicle tow in my present, I came out and saw Lou Lou getting out of his truck and kneel down to hook up my vehicle on to his tow truck.

Next a certain VKS told me to deal with him. i respond but the former Lt. Governor Richards said that youall should release the vehicle just give a fine was the owner arrive to the location before the vehicle was towed.

anyways my vehilce was towed, to Hope estate where Mr Lou Lou from the french side whos does not have proper papers or operating license or is register at the tax office, rents a yard space in Hope Estate.

I had to pay Usd $ 75,00 dollars, when I ask for a receipt, He refuse as I wanted to show it to the tax office, once I mention to the driver what my intention was Lou Lou grap his bussiness card and the receipt from my hands.

Nut Lou Lou there are many ways to file a complain. and just a matter of time for the Minister to deal with youall a**.

Government should first create decent parking space in Philipsburg and then talk again.
Invest in two parking towers on the Pondfill: one at the beginning and one at ending of Pondfill. Charge $1.- or $2.- per hour and visitors of town will be happy. Persons who work in the area will not use them because of the charges. The parking towers are for shoppers or other short business purposes.

So, can I go and demand my money back from Hungry's who towed my car illegally if I show my receipt? or bring it to the police station and tax office? Does this also apply to the towing going on at the airport?

@reimburse, this is what the minister is implying. If you got all your receipts, you can demand your money back from the company or even take government to courts to get it back. Especially if you got a fine on top of it.

My God, it was about time this abuse was put to an end and I do hope that those who are recent victims of this illegal activity would get some form of justice for their plight.

There are so many things that are so wrong about this island of ours, all sort of people using all forms of illegal activity and have gotten away with it for too long.

Thank you Mr. Minister!

THIS WHOLE MAFIA MOVE WAS SET UP BY THE POLICE AND THERE FRIENDS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY.I THINK FOR PUBLIC SAFETY THE POLICE SHOULD DO A DRUG TEST EVERY TWO MONTHS.TRUST ME.SOME OF THEM IS REAL CRACKERS.

The police force spent a huge amount of tax payers money to buy a state of the art brand new towing truck, but it's never used for the purpose that it's intended for, instead you see the police officer like Villereal liming in it.
That's the reason you have to tow truck "stealing" people vehicle and then you have to pay US$ 75,= to get it back.
It's about time this SCAM, THIEFING, ILLEGAL act STOP.
Tell them Duncan it's just a matter is time for you to get things straight.

I am so glad these gangsters with tow trucks have had their best time. I have been towed once, of course have no receipt and no paper trail. I wish I had, I would sew them big time!

Wow finally!

yes buses stopping here and there, taxi drivers parking how they feel taking up 2 spaces or just sitting in traffic blocking traffic from moving...

To me it seems these bus drivers / taxi drivers feel they own the road and no one else is on it.

I suggest the police get more tow trucks and tow themselves, you know how much money these "hungry" tow companies make? All of that money could be going to goverment. How does one regular monies brought in by towing anyways. I would love to see their tax forms.

Anyways probably all talk and show once again and nothing will change.

Quote " The only people that are authorized to designate parking spaces is the Government of St. Maarten and it must be done via a decree."

Are you therefor visiting these companies and giving fines for doing it??? Serious! Government knows NOT how to make money.

You people should before you start acting stupid and confronting others. Imagine, someone park and block my driveway? What should I do Mr. Duncan? People parking in the bust stops, what should the police do Mr. Duncan? Mr. Duncan, you have open a pandora box without going further to explain the people how they should behave/park/drive on the roads/sidewalks :o You stop short of bringing order. What's happening with those people driving with tinted gla**es, you cannot see anything/anyone in the car. It is frightning and dangerous. How are you to determine if the person sitting in the car is not a rapist or robber, or a killer holding a gun on you. Mr. Duncan I guess you will address that when you are confronted personally with the situation.? ;-)

Duncan please check in the parking lot .there is some little food places that is takeing up like five to six parking each .we the people is paying our taxes too .these things is unfair.we know you will answer our plee

@ Mark Chance

Mark, you are so right, there is many ways government can get money, other than giving people heart attacks.

Look at the French side, NO ADVERTISEMENT BOARDS
on the streets.
The Dutch side have a FRENCH company with the biggest boards, and then everybody stick up one where they want.

Send somebody, and take pictures of each sign on government road, and match the lisence, and start collecting.

Also the HEINEKEN REGATTA, LOOK DOWN ON
SIMPSONSBAY STRIP. AT THE BRIDGE.
CONTAINER VILLAGE BACK IN TOWN, AND THEY LICK UP PORCH, AND PUT UP A RESTAURANT SIGN,
AND COVER IT WITH HEINEKEN FLAGS, AFTER THAT,
THE VILLAGE STAYS............GHETTO STYLE.
COUNT THE CONTAINERS DOWN THERE..............

I tired of hearing these Ministers and members of parliment talk. If those things are illegal then why are those people being allowed to practice these illegal acts for so long?

GREAT JOB MINISTER DUNCAN!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
NOW BLACK DOG ALSO HUNGRY DON'T HAVE JOB... LOOL LOL LOOL I'M SOOOOO HAPPY WITH THIS MOVE.
GREAT JOB SIR

HILDO MARTINA AND TONY ROGERS START ALL THIS. WHY?
HILDO IS THE CO-OWNER OF BLACKDOG TOWING AND HE IS THE ONE THAT WITH TOWING OF THE RENTAL CARS IN TOWN.
TONY ROGERS AND TONY LEGRAND ARE GOOD FRIENDS BECAUSE ROGERS HAS A HUGE DEBT BY LEGRAND FROM LEANDING MONEY. HE OWE BABADOO TOO.

HILDO MARTINA IS THE ONE THAT START WITH TOWING OF RENTAL CARS IN TOWN. HE IS AN IN LAW WITH ALL DOGS. LOOK HIM GOOD IN THE FACE YOU WILL SEE A BULLDOG.

The police tow vehicles not because they want to but because you sxm people keep calling in saying that traffic is not flowing good or your drive-way is blocked. Let them go ahead and stop the private towing companies, so when the roads are blocked who will be called? A tow truck was bought for the police, but was a fenced/guarded property handed over to the police to store vehicles when they are towed to ensure that the vehicles of the public are SAFE? Im sure it was not. But whats going to take place now is that the private companies that are now towing will never get a permit to do so because some big shot POLITICIAN will rush and buy some tow trucks so he can either rent them to the government OR get the permit to tow the vehicles (Like what is taking place with the escavators etc etc). And as for MINISTER DUNCAN telling people to report the vehicle stolen, im sure he is aware of the fact that there is something called "a false report" which is also an offense. So go ahead and file a report, lets see if MINISTER DUNCAN will bring you bread and water when ur locked away in POINT BLANCHE.

TO THINK ST MAARTEN . YOU SOUND SO STUPID THE TOW TRUCK COMPANY DON,T GIVE YOU NO RECEIPT SO IF YOU HAVE A POLICE REPORT THEN YOU CAN TAKE THEM TO COURT FOR TOWING YOUR CAR EASY AS THAT .IS NOT A FALSE REPORT BECAUSE IT,S ILEGAL.

Any time your car is missing from where you left it, IT IS STOLEN. so that is not a false report. Mr. Duncan what took you so long??? I hope you take care of the old wrecks that are parked all around people's private property bringing down the value of their homes. My car was stolen and the police knew about the next day, still they called HUNGRY to tow it from where it was left and didn' tell me anything. Hungry had it for 3 months before I got to know, but I know my rights and DID NOT PAY THE US$ 900,00 that they charged me. THANK YOU MR. DUNCAN

What should one do or who should they call when a car is parked obstructing their entrance??

And what is the law on this. In Philipsburg this is constantly happening when you want to get in or out of your private property you are constantly being obstructed and have to wait sometimes hours before the driver returns. As well what about vehicles parking in no parking areas, towing this away is also considered theft? We need to understand the whole concept so that there are no issues or otherwise stones left unturn.