Towing Issues: Breaking into a car to tow it. Legal?, tow truck man, car thief

Question
Hi,

I work in a building in Baltimore, MD, next to a store that has their own private parking lot. They post signs that you will be towed if park there and are not a patron of their shop, and every once and a while I'll see a car towed from the lot. Today, I saw the tow truck man break into a car to tow it. Using a wedge and a long wire hanger, he jimmied the door open just like a car thief (I guess to undo the parking break). He even set off the car alarm. Is this legal? Are there limits to what a towing company can do to remove a car? And if so, is there anyone I can call (police, BBB, etc) to report this? I don't even know whose car it was but this seemed really extreme.

Answer
Well in the general practice of doing Private Property Impounds ( PPI's ) which is what you described, it is not wise to enter vehicle when towing the vehicles.  This is done an a liability issue mainly, as that proverable bag of diamonds in the car did not get stolen.

But now in defense to the tower, in some areas,under rules and regulations the towing company has to call the police departments before they tow the vehicle and give them information on the vehicle they are towing. This sometimes includes the vehicle identification number which is 99% of the time in the drivers side dash.  Now lots of people have dash covers over them or set papers and or parking passes on them.  This might of been the case.  

I do not know the specifics in your area of requirements, but it would be not legal in my mind to enter the vehicle. As to reporting to the police, I am not sure what they would do,  it might be a practice they are interested in or it might of been a one time thing.    Now also rememeber that not everytime a tow truck is removing a car its not for illegal parking. it might of been a vehicle that the owner lost the keys to.  

I am sorry but its one of those so so calls as to what you do, but I think that the vehicle owner would notice if it had happened or if anything was missing and did anything about it.