ABC Conversions

I went to ABW Conversions to pick-up my auto from being towed from an incident over the weekend in which driver is accused of being at fault. Driver has not of course been to court or had an indictment issued. I was told by the tow truck owner that the bill was 345.00 with 175.00 being a penalty the other part for towing to include a 45.00 fee for clean up – that is putting the bumper on the back of the truck. First question is: Why is this company charging a penalty fee when no guilt or indictment has been issued. Is this company now become judge and jury? Do they regularly charge based upon a person’s supposed guilt as I was told ? I do not think this is a proper charge and therefore I do not think that I should have to pay it. Second: I am the owner of the auto and I have authorized no such outrageous charges, nor could the driver at the time the car was towed. I understand that wreckers work a rotating call system where they are notified of cars needing towing but the government in no way sets the charges. Does this company just pull charges out of the air taking advantage of people’s misfortune? Third: I was told by the owner of the tow truck that everyone else in town charges the same thing. Not so in that a normal tow job is only 50.00 so are all of the companies in town taking advantage of people’s misfortune and charging these kinds of prices without anyone’s consent? I arrived before the company was able to produce a bill and was told that I would have to pay for Monday as well as Sunday – but would have to come back to pay when they had a bill. I would owe for the whole day although they couldn’t even produce a bill. The receptionist told me this and I asked for the owner only to be told that I would have to wait again. On leaving the tow truck driver showed up in the parking lot and I caught him before he entered the office. I was shown the car. Hence I learned of these outrageous charges. Ck Florence, South CarolinaU.S.A.