Local residents and many visitors to Chapel Hill and Carrboro know the towns have a reputation for downtown parking being difficult to find sometimes. While the local governments each have a new parking deck expected to come online later this year, it is not unusual to see people try to park at businesses and walk to different places instead of using public spaces. With that premium on parking, though, comes an emphasis on towing in private spaces – and the operators contracted by businesses have built a reputation for being aggressive in how quickly they will remove vehicles. Every few years a new wave of dialogue begins after a driver is stranded, questioning whether the practices are predatory or how they are allowed, with the latest happening around Carr Mill Mall this past winter. But this summer marks a historical turning point for what is and isn’t allowed in towing practices – as a state supreme court case involving Chapel Hill just passed its ten-year anniversary. For the f...