A towing company is the sort of operation that serves a very useful purpose. Granted, it's the type of purpose you hope you will never have to utilise, and yet it's good to know that such services exist. You might have heard the occasional horror story about towing operators who confiscate vehicles without much of a reason, regardless of the urgency of the situation. Recent events have been linked to Queensland, yet it's something that all Australians need to be mindful about.
The Complaints
When it comes to rogue towing operators, there has been a prevalence of calls to a new government hotline in Queensland. It's conceivable that such complaints would have been received on a more substantial basis had the hotline been established at an earlier date. The complaints detail an arrogance amongst these so-called "cowboy" operators. They have been accused of removing vehicles on the flimsiest of pretences, before charging exorbitant fees to have the vehicles released.
Cowboy Tactics
Please bear in mind that most towing companies operate a legitimate business and would not revert to the types of tactics that many "cowboy" operators resort to. This is likely to be of minimal comfort if you are targeted by an operator who has towed your vehicle without what you would consider an appropriate amount of justification. So what should you do if your vehicle has been towed under these circumstances?
Check the Details
If your vehicle has been towed from a private parking space, you should immediately inspect the parking restrictions that are on display in the premises. If the signage is missing or has degraded to the point of being illegible, you need to make a note of this. Certainly, while it's difficult to be fully aware of missing signage, you should still document any illegible signage. Take a photo with your smartphone. This is a tangible way of contesting the towing with the owners of the parking facilities. While it's unfortunate that such an incident could occur at all, parking on private property is often unregulated. If you have any concern about the regulations pertaining to the space on which you intend to park, you might wish to consider parking elsewhere.
While a lot of the information presented here is pertinent to a particularly Queensland problem, it cannot be assumed that other states are immune from the issue. So be wary about where you park when signage is not clear, and if you should happen to be present when your vehicle is towed under dubious circumstances, take photos of the tow truck (ideally noting the vehicle's licence plate) in case you need to dispute the towing.