QuestionI am VERY impressed by your knowledge of towing laws in not only Alabama, but other states as well. My questions to you are... What is the maximum rate a person can be charged for having their vehicle towed off of private property where they parked without permission? What is the maximum they can be charged in storage fees per day and for how many days? And finally, if you have this information, where can I get a "hard copy" so that I can have it on file? In other words, other than the State Code of Alabama, what authority can I contact to get this information? Thank you!
AnswerWell a lot of my information is done with searches online of state DMV records, local City rates for police towing and just plain towing company web sites.
There are no real rates which are set, for impounds from private property in most cases. Certain Cities and States have regulated the rates in attempts to "protect the citizens" from "evil towers"
But in many of the cases the rates are even lower than what it costs to do business. And there are also tons of places where the free market system kind of sets the rates.
No one wants to be in the business of towing illegally parked vehicles (which tends to give tow companies black eyes) and charge excessive fees.
Yes there are some companies who are not interested in following the laws and regulations and over charge. A quick web search can show you some of the news stories.
Now if you are in Alabama, you can also see online the rates for some cities.
Hope this helps
