MGD Towing and Recovery Services in
West Hempstead (NY)

Predatory business practices — especially disturbing because they’re aimed at working families. This company sat in a private lot on Thanksgiving Day, waiting for people to park so they could slap boots on cars and demand $175 “cash only” to remove them. There were multiple families outside dealing with the exact same situation. Upset, confused, and stuck. That alone shows this isn’t legitimate enforcement, it’s a business model built on trapping people. There were no posted signs near the spaces they targeted. Yet they insisted the fee had to be paid in cash. The moment we questioned this and mentioned that New York State consumer law requires reasonable payment options, the story suddenly shifted… First, it was “Cash only.” Then, You can use a card but only if you sign extra paperwork with an extra fee, when we challenged that: “The card reader is broken.” The contradictions weren’t accidents. The owner, Michael G. Davis, personally pulled up and handled our situation. Davis presents himself as a veteran and a community-minded business owner - online, but his conduct didn’t reflect that AT ALL. He set the tone for these predatory practices and doubled down on every shady, obstructive step. Someone with his background should hold himself to a higher standard, not run an operation that squeezes struggling families on a holiday. Let’s not even mention the attitude he has and allows his employees to get away with. Because Davis refused to accept a lawful form of payment, my partner had to walk in the freezing cold on Thanksgiving night to find an ATM while I stayed inside our immobilized vehicle with our 7-month-old and 3-year-old. We couldn’t keep the truck running the whole time due to fuel and the boot. Our baby cried the entire time from discomfort. This was entirely avoidable. We accepted responsibility for parking where we shouldn’t have and were prepared to pay. But once it became clear that Davis and his employees were intentionally making the process difficult to force cash payments, it was obvious this was predatory, exploitative behavior, not real enforcement. On THANKSGIVING! To make things worse, we received no proper receipt, and he only scribbled information down after noticing he was being recorded. Their vehicles also have no proper business markings, which raises even more concerns. This experience will be formally reported to Nassau County Consumer Affairs and the NY Attorney General. If you value your money, peace of mind, or basic dignity, avoid anywhere this company operates.