If you’ve had your car towed, you’ll want to get it back as quickly as possible. But if you don’t have the money to pay for the tow, you might be worried about how to get your car back without paying. Luckily, there are several options available to help you do just that.
Check with your local police department or sheriff’s office to see if they offer a lien release program. This program allows you to pay off the fee for the tow without having to pay for storage fees or fines associated with the impoundment.
Contact your insurance company and ask if they offer a tow service discount. Insurance companies sometimes offer discounts on two services if they are able to provide them at lower costs than what other companies offer.
You can also ask whether or not they might be able to waive any storage fees if they are able to get your vehicle back sooner than expected.
How much does it cost to recover a car that has been towed?
The cost of recovering your car varies from city to city, but in general, it will be somewhere between $50 and $400. Some companies offer free towing services for low-income people who qualify for public assistance programs, and these fees can be waived if you have a valid license plate sticker or vehicle registration receipt on hand when you go to retrieve your car.
If you want to avoid paying any fees at all, check with the police department where your car was towed before going out there and looking for it. If they don’t have any record of it being towed, then it won’t cost anything for you to get it back.
What do you need to bring with me when you go to recover my car?
You will need to know where your car was towed. If it was towed from a parking lot, then the property owner’s name and address will be on the citation. If it was towed from somewhere else, like a street or highway, then you’ll need to contact the police department that issued the ticket to find out who has control over the vehicle and where it is currently located.
Then you’ll need their phone number and address so that you can call them to let them know when you’re coming over with your paperwork. Make sure that you have all of your paperwork ready with you when you go recover your vehicle.
The ticket was issued by law enforcement. A copy of your driver’s license or another identification card. Your current insurance card. Any other documents related in any way with whatever caused them to tow your car.
The rules for getting your car back if it’s been impounded
The rules for this depend on where your car was towed. If it was in a city, then the city’s laws will apply. If it was in a county, then the county’s laws will apply. If your car was towed from an area that is governed by California’s vehicle code, then there are general rules that apply to all cars. Here are four of those rules.
The owner must request the car before midnight on the day after the vehicle was impounded. The owner must pay all storage charges and any other fees related to the tow within 30 days after the vehicle was impounded unless they’re able to show good cause for why they didn’t pay sooner.
If the owner doesn’t pick up their vehicle within 30 days after it was impounded and pay any fees owed, then they may forfeit their rights to get the car back at all it will be sold by auction or disposed of as scrap metal if nobody claims it within 60 days after being towed away from its original location (the latter only applies.
Paying for the towing or storage fees
If you’re worried about paying for the tow or storage costs, don’t worry. In California, it’s illegal for towing companies to charge you anything more than the actual price of the tow and storage fees.
If you’re in a situation where you feel like your rights have been violated as a result of being towed, you can file a complaint with the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Conclusion
You should be able to get your car back without paying for it if the tow truck driver is not authorized to take your car. If you are towed and the sign says that you need to pay $500, then you should ask for a copy of the contract with the company that owns the lot where they are storing your car. If they refuse, then call the police. You do not have to pay for anything until you get a copy of this contract.
