Towing Issues: Tow company fee, paper mail, tow yard

Question
Ok i had a car that the clutch went out in, so i could not move it till i had enough money to put a new one in. I pushed it around the lot to keep it from being towed away by the apt building. Then came the day the needed to sweep the lot. Any cars in the lot left there were towed, mine being one of them. After towing it they call me and say i owe them around $200 to get it back. I said keep it, i only paid $200 for it anyways. Well its been about a year and i get a bill in the mail for $750.  Now since the apt complex had it towed, and not me, shouldnt they be liable for the impound and storage fees if i fail to pick up the car?

Answer
Well in this question, the issue of who is ultimately responsible for towing and storage fees is raised.

Under state law in most every state, the vehicle owner is responsible for towing and storage of the vehicle regardless of who orders - authorizes the tow.

I mean if you parked your vehicle in the McDonalds parking lot blocking the driveways, and then left it there where no one could get in or out, do you think that McDonalds should be responsible for the towing fees of a vehicle which was trespassing (that is a crime)on its property?

Now as to you telling them that they could keep the vehicle, since the fees where more than you felt it was worth, I do not suppose you bothered to consider supplying them the title (ownership documents) so that they could legally dispose of it did you?

Under state laws, they have a procedure to follow to gain the legal rights to dispose of the vehicle and during this time they incur costs for paperwork, required legal notices in paper, mail, and all this time the vehicle is still in the tow yard taking up space and not generating revenue for the parking space it is taking up.

Now as to the bill in the mail, I guess you think that the tow company is a public service like the police and fire department who are taxpayer supported. I hate to say it but a tow company is a private business who has to make a profit to stay in business.  And most all of them utilize collection agencies to recover fees owed them for unclaimed - abandoned vehicles.

Now in some states, the law also allows for your drivers license or other vehicle license plates to be suspended for none payment of fees owed tow companies for vehicles towed.


Hope this information helps you.