Are you someone who enjoys street shopping in crowded or busy areas? In most cases, parking facilities here are limited, and you are left with no choice but to park illegally on the roadside.
Normally, you’ll end up with a ticket for parking violations. But in certain cases, you may end up having your vehicle towed, which is not a pleasant sight.
Getting the towed vehicle back is not an easy task, and you will have to spend lots of money, effort, and time to get the car back. As the entire procedure of retrieving your vehicle is quite expensive, most people wonder what happens if they leave the car at the impounding lot.
Keep scrolling to find everything you need to know if your car gets towed and what happens if you do not pick it up.
Reasons Why Your Vehicle Gets Towed
Towing your vehicle refers to legally confiscating your car for obstructing the law. The authorities can clamp the vehicle due to various reasons, which include:
- Driving around with invalid insurance or an invalid license.
- The validity period of the car registration.
- The car gets stuck somewhere.
- Driving a commercial vehicle for too long and failing to clear the previous fines.
- Abandons the vehicle at the side of the road after an accident.
- Booked under drunken driving
- The vehicle needs to be used as crime scene evidence.
- Has accumulated numerous unpaid parking tickets.
When it comes to parking:
- Parking illegally in a handicap zone, private property, or a no parking zone.
- Is blocking the path of an ambulance or fire engine.
- Parked the car in no parking area.
- Parked near a pedestrian crossing or traffic light signal.
- Parked in the bus stop, hospital entrance, or other emergency public places.
Though the above reasons are common for most areas, the reason for your vehicle getting impounded varies from state to state.
Who Can Tow Your Vehicle Away?
Vehicles are expensive personal possessions, but you may find them getting towed away if they are parked incorrectly or in restricted areas. Who exactly has the right to clamp your precious investment without your permission.
As per the law, your auto can be towed by the following legal entities:
- Local councils.
- Police officials.
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency – They are legally entitled to clamp and take away overloaded vehicles or vehicles not fit to be on the road.
- Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency – They are legally responsible for clamping away untaxed automobiles.
Car Has Been Towed, How To Find It?
In most cases, when your car has been towed, you may not know where to look for it. Your first instinct should be to check the No Parking sign to see if there is any number posted where you can contact to get your vehicle back.
However, do not call the emergency number; instead, search for the local phone line to get information about your impounded vehicle. You can also contact the nearby towing companies to locate your towed auto. Trying to locate your vehicle as soon as possible helps you to avoid unnecessary storage charges.
In normal cases, you will be contacted by the authorities through the mail, explaining the reason why your car was towed and where it was taken.
Normally, your vehicle may end up in any of the private impounding lots. You can check online, get information about the impound lots in your area, and find out if your car is with them.
Keep in mind that you may have to provide information regarding your vehicle when contacting the impounding lots. They collect information to verify and make sure you are the automobile owner in question. Here, you will have to provide information regarding your car model, make, and even the VIN number.
Is It Okay If You Don’t Collect The Towed Car?
Your towed car will end up in the impounding lot, and the owner of the lot will start charging you with parking or storage fees the moment it reaches them.
There is a certain period of time within which you need to collect your vehicle, or else you will lose the ownership title. While some impounding lot owners permit 30 days time frame, others extend it up to 45 days.
Once the deadline period is over, the following can happen to your vehicle:
- The vehicle might be scrapped, and the parts will be sold off.
- Sell it off as second-hand to cover the impounding fees incurred.
No Plans Of Reclaiming The Towed Car, Here What You Must Do
If you’re planning to disclaim the ownership of your vehicle, you need to go to the impounding lot with the proof of ownership and identity. You will have to pay the disposal charges and penalty charges for violating their traffic laws here. However, you will be relieved from paying the storage and impounding fees.
After signing the disclaimer notice, your vehicle will be sold off or scrapped. You will be exempt from paying any insurance or tax charges for the towed vehicle.
Wrap Up
Still wondering if it’s worth parking in a restricted spot and getting your auto towed. It’s advisable not to do so as you may have to deal with any legal consequences.
Parking in restricted areas or parking spaces beyond the allotted time is considered to be breaking the law, and you will find that getting your vehicle towed and having to pick it up can be quite a hassle. Even if you have no plans of picking it up, you’ll be heaping huge amounts of storage fines for the towed vehicle.
When your auto gets towed, make sure to remain relaxed without panicking. Next, try your best to retrieve it back within a few days. This will help reduce the amount of storage and other charges you may incur. If you’re not financially stable enough to pay the incurred fees, go ahead and sell it rather than getting involved in time-consuming lawsuits.
