From article: "The sometimes predatory practices of private-property towing have led many cities to decide they can't leave this business entirely up to the market." Careful, your anti-free market bias is showing. To be clear, this is not a market. It is extortion, made possible by the law, which should be changed. The law doesn't punish the towing company for car theft. If one lost my wallet at Cub foods, for example, nobody would accept it if Cub foods charged a $300 fee for storage, processing, and notification regarding the lost wallet. So, I am one conservative who thinks the law needs to change in this respect, to limit the fee to something reasonable, or to just not allow private parties to tow cars, and instead allow the place where the car was parked to sue the car owner for demonstrated damages (e.g., lost business).

"GREED" is what it is!!!!!!!!!!!!

"If people think Wrecker Services is making a killing, "write me a check for the place," he said." I can't imagine what his asking price is if he thinks his towing/impound charge is anywhere near his actual costs.

A few years back I was curious about this issue and called a few tow companies for some quotes. This is what I found: ______________________________________________________________ If Cedar Towing towed your car from a private lot for lack of payment the fee they gave me over the phone was $225.00 ______________________________________________________________ I called three other companies and said my car had broken down and needed to be towed to my house 10 miles away. "How much?" I asked. ______________________________________________________________ Extreme Towing - $65.00 plus $3.00/mile (they'd be there in 45 minutes) ______________________________________________________________ D & D Towing - $45.00 plus $2.00/mile (and they'd come right away) ______________________________________________________________ Dukes Towing - $65.00 flat fee (and they'd come right away) ______________________________________________________________ These numbers haven't changed greatly in a few years. If you went looking for a tow in a competitive market it could be done for about $65.00. These tow companies that are contracted to remove cars are indeed GOUGING their victims.

Thanks deproz, interesting numbers. $65 if you call and request your own car towed versus $200 to $300 if they come and snatch it. Yeah, I'd say they's some gouging going on! I've also heard that kickbacks to the parking lot owners are not legal. Perhaps the lot owners get these lots plowed free in the winter in return for "the business" they bring the tow companies.

Sure the price is high. But this fee is because the car is not parked where it suppose to be. Not because she had broken down somewhere. In my opinion there is a difference. If the price wasn't high what would prevent people from parking where they are not allowed to? I bet through this experience that this young lady will think twice parking where there is a sign that says unauthorized vehciles will be towed.

KBakke - "Sure the price is high. But this fee is because the car is not parked where it suppose to be." WRONG! If there's going to be a punitive fine involved the tow company shouldn't get it. This is clearly legalized extortion and should be stopped.

There seems to be a simple solution in our "free enterprise" system. 1) ban any kickback or compensation back to the business. 2) Require CONSPICUOUSLY posting the towing and storage charges in 12 inch neon letters so no one misses it. The same for any "boot" charges - those where the car is made immobile without towing. ........... If a business does not want to post a CONSPICUOUS large sign with an outrageous charge they will find another solution or a cheaper towing provider.

I wonder what Jeff Hemauer would say if he often found strange cars parked in his driveway, sometimes preventing him from leaving or entering his home? Pay up, it's the price of being young and stupid.

"Budget" Towing- riiiiight.