Talk of Town lawyers up, again decries ‘discriminatory’ towing ordinance
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - A Talk of Town Towing truck at the scene of a vehicle accident in Turkey Run in 2023.
SHENANDOAH – Attorney Joseph Nahas, now representing Talk of Town Towing, took time during Monday’s Shenandoah Borough Council meeting to decry what he called discrimination by the borough in regards to towing services.
Ruth Williams owns Talk of Town Towing and operates it with her husband Dwight.
The two have been outspoken against the borough and called for a towing ordinance and the enforcement thereof for several years. Since the implementation of the first towing ordinance, which was supposed to establish a rotation between Shenandoah-based towing companies, Nahas said Talk of Town has been called six times.
The most recent iteration, Nahas said, discriminated against Talk of Town, which he said was “designed to preclude my client from operating her business.”
It required any towing operation licensed by the borough to operate a heavy wrecker.
Nahas said he has correspondence from government officials that show Williams was being prejudiced.
“If any of you think I’m standing before you here today waving some sort of paper sabre, that’s not what I do for a living,” Nahas said, noting that he’s sued municipalities for similar before.
He said he’d tried to resolve the issue amicably but to no avail.
Nahas also noted other issues with the borough, including the sale of the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Shenandoah. He previously represented MABS at a time when the board was in opposition to the sale.
He provided a letter to each member of council outlining the situation and said Williams wants to make the borough a better place through her business ventures.
Nahas said he’s asking $40,000 a year in damages for the past five years, which he believed was “very light.”
Nahas is also representing two towing companies in a federal discrimination lawsuit against the City of Hazleton.
Borough Council was expected to vote on a repeal of the towing ordinance at Monday night’s meeting.
Council voted to table the matter instead.
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