ProPublica and The Connecticut Mirror Win Pulitzer for Exposing Connecticut's Abusive Towing Industry

ProPublica and its Local Reporting Network partner The Connecticut Mirror have been awarded the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for an investigative series that exposed how Connecticut’s towing laws systematically favored unscrupulous companies, leading to widespread overcharging and vehicle seizures—particularly targeting low-income residents.

In a statement, the Pulitzer Prize judges described the series as “an impressive investigation exposing how the state’s unique towing laws favored unscrupulous companies that overcharged residents, prompting swift and meaningful consumer protections.” The award marks ProPublica’s ninth Pulitzer Prize.

Additionally, ProPublica was named a finalist in two other categories:

• Investigative Reporting: A series examining how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed risky drugs to enter the country for years.
• Explanatory Reporting: A series analyzing the fallout from the destruction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters.

These nominations bring ProPublica’s total Pulitzer finalists to 14 in 18 years.

How the Investigation Uncovered Systemic Abuses

The award-winning series, titled “On the Hook,” was co-reported by Dave Altimari and Ginny Monk of The Connecticut Mirror. Their investigation revealed a towing industry rife with abuse due to minimal oversight from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Key findings included:

• Extremely short redemption windows: Towing companies could initiate the process to sell a person’s car in as little as 15 days if the vehicle was valued at less than $1,500—one of the shortest timelines in the U.S. This disproportionately affected low-income residents who struggled to pay towing fees quickly.
• Undervaluing of vehicles: Through data analysis by reporters Sophie Chou and Haru Coryne, the investigation found that towing companies drastically undervalued cars compared to industry book values, allowing them to sell vehicles faster and at lower costs to buyers.
• Withholding of personal belongings: Towing companies often held onto personal items—including work equipment and sentimental possessions—as leverage to extract exorbitant fees from owners.
• Failure to remit sale profits: State law required towing companies to hold profits from sold cars and return them to owners, but the DMV had never established a system to collect these funds. As a result, owners lost out on thousands of dollars.

Immediate Legislative Response and Reforms

The investigation sparked swift action from state officials and lawmakers. Within 24 hours of the first story’s publication, Connecticut DMV leadership announced a review of towing practices. Legislators quickly introduced a bill to overhaul the state’s century-old towing statutes.

By May 2025, the bill passed with nearly unanimous bipartisan support. The new law includes key provisions addressing nearly every issue uncovered in the investigation:

• Towing companies must provide advance warning before removing vehicles from apartment parking lots, unless a safety hazard exists.
• Companies must now accept credit cards for towing and storage fees.
• Owners must be allowed to claim their belongings before their vehicle is sold.
• Towing companies must wait at least 30 days before selling a vehicle.

In response to the investigation, the legislature also created a DMV task force to study how towing companies handle profits. The task force has since expanded its scope to examine other aspects of the law. Most recently, the Connecticut State Senate passed a bill to create an online portal where drivers can track towing incidents and associated fees.