Towing Issues: Towing from a drinking establishment., tow companies, photographic proof

Question
Saturday night I was out drinking with friends.  At the sports bar we were out I had a few too many drinks and when we decided to leave our DD drove us home. So I left my vehicle in the parking lot and we all rode in one car. Upon returning the next day (aprx 12 hrs) my truck was missing.  I went into the place and asked them if they had had it towed etc.  They had no knowledge of it being towed and I called a few tow companies in the area and they didnt have it on file.  So I reported it stolen.  Today I called the tow companies again and one of them said that they had it and they wanted 170$.. when I asked why it had been towed they simply responded that it was illegally parked...now my question is what justifies it being illegally parked to the point of being towed if I left it at the place where i was drinking and came back to pick it up 12 hours later?  

Answer
In most cases with private property towing a written contract exists between the property owner and the towing company. Some night clubs and bars do have time limits on how long a vehicle can be parked on the property after closing. Most properties do have posted signs at the entrance or building notifying of such parking enforcement. My suggestion is double checking with the bar if towing is enforced on the property. If the manager or owner suggest no such enforcement exists then you could have a very valid claim. Also, most private property tow companies do take pictures before the vehicle is towed for photographic proof of the violation. As for the fee for the service it's within the range for most private property towing, which may be the tow plus storage. Since the county, city and state were not mentioned more information is needed to properly answer your question. Good luck and hopefully this may give some insight to why the vehicle was towed.