Just my quick experance with towing on land. I have had to remove a vehicle before off of the side of the road due to the driver alone having a
medical condition. For being ordered by police to remove it from the roadway to a secure lot without the keys does incur a cost to the owner. Many times the tow can be submitted to
insurance but when the police call we haul. We have a
contract set with the municipal of what we charge for what we do. That is as well viewable to the public in the town or state ordnance. If I owned a tow company for how few times it does happen I would wright it off and expect nothing for it being a
medical condition and the owner knew better to pull over and get help instead of plowing forward and possibly doing quite worse. That's just me tho.
I understand it's a whole different world with salvage and in the seas, but using towing on land it's a different set of laws all together. If a person saw your car and had a tow company pick it up and take it home that is theft on land any way you look at it. The tow operator should know better especailly if there are no keys and can not verify
ownership through the
registration paperwork.
I do wonder how it does pan out for the owner of this salvage. Is he going to pursue his home if it's all he has? I do believe tho the
fishing vessel should get something and not just hand it over if they just see
money and a opportunity. But what is fare? We don't know of the fishing boat is having a string of poor catches or is bringing the sailboat back after making its run and has a full boat. All factors in considering what is fare and a loss of work imo. Maybe half days pay and the extra fuel it costs to tow it back. Is that fare? The fiahing vessel did not take a special trip to go searching for the abandoned sailboat. How much time was lost to tow it in? I am guessing atleast double the fuel it usually runs through pending on
wind and seas. Loss of speed is what? Instead of cruising at 15 knots it's going at 5?
Me if I could bring it in without much trouble and I faired out well I would be more then happy to let the owner have his vessel back with nothing expected to be given back. If he feels the need to hand over something that's all up to the owner. I get what I need when I really need it. If I incurred damage somehow I will bring it up to the owner if I made contact with them as part of the story but it's more of a adventure and a story to tell later on about my character.
Weather people want to believe or not.
I've helped a few people out on the sides of the roads when I was not on my hourly pay late at night returning from a call and I felt I would not be stepping on another tow company's territory. I did not charge or ask for
money for my help since I stopped and asked if I could do anything to get them goin faster.