“It’s an ongoing problem,” said Grace Brombach, the fund’s consumer watchdog associate and the author of the report. This sort of towing differs from a tow you request when your car breaks down or is disabled after an accident. Towing contracts often don’t require the businesses to pay anything to the towing companies, said Eric Friedman, director of the office of consumer protection in Montgomery County, Md. Instead, he said, the contracts allow the towing company to keep all fees earned from towing, creating an incentive for it to be aggressive. In some cases, towing companies pay “spotters” — people who watch the lot and call the company if a motorist is away from the car for even a few minutes beyond the posted time limit.

Source: New York Times May 07, 2021 13:00 UTC