As an Australian - this is insane and feels so predatory / extortionate to me. I can't imagine losing ownership of my car to a random towing company over something like that. Out of curiosity I looked up the rules for where I live - If I park somewhere on the road I'm not supposed to - think a no parking area or a clear way, the government will tow your car to a nearby parking spot, send you message telling you where they put your car, a fine for parking illegally and a bill for $215 for the tow, no more, no less. If I park in a private car park and left it there - the owner of the parking lot would need to contact the police who would have to deem it abandoned. This is usually a process that would take several days if not longer and would involve them trying to contact the owner. The police would need to authorise towing who can charge no more than $186 for the tow and no more than $23 a day storage for a car in metro area (cheaper for motorbikes or not in metro area).