In Florida they will drive around after a hurricane and essentially steal any car not parked completely in a driveway. It took us months to figure out which outfit stole my Grandmother's car a couple years ago.

Yes. Get your car towed by police and you have probably a $200 tow fee. (This was 20 years ago, I'm sure it hasn't got better). Want your car back pay the fee. Can't pay it today? 25 per day storage upcharge. Gets so expensive its not worth getting it back? It now belongs to the tow company.

Edit: you usually also have to pay your ticket or whatever for the police to even allow the tow company to release the car. Pretty much ensuring if you're poor and don't have an expensive car it's cheaper to just buy a new one then try to get your property back.

This happened to me when I was like 20. A photo radar ticket I forgot about and didn't pay ended up with a suspended license. Pulled over, car towed, $600 in tickets plus tow company fees I lost my car.

Also happened that another car was stolen. At work when it was found, so they towed it. Cost to get my stolen car back was more than it was worth. It was probably a $500 car. Old Honda accord.

If you're not the one calling them, then yes they are scum.

Towing companies and debt collectors are about equal in terms of awful companies.