10 Ways To Get A Towed Car Back Without Paying

Having your car towed without your permission might be one of the most uncomfortable situations you can find yourself in. It’s frustrating to discover that this happened when you were parked. You may believe it will never happen to you, yet it is far more prevalent than you realize. You can have your car towed for a variety of reasons, such as not seeing a fire hydrant and parking close to it, or accidentally blocking traffic in some way.

It may have been an unintentional error, but it doesn’t change the fact that your automobile is gone and you need it back. The fee imposed by towing firms for retrieving automobiles is generally a gray area. Larger vehicles require more money due to the inconvenience of moving them.

In this article, we review the easiest ways to get your towed car back without paying.

What Are The Reasons Why A Car Might Get Towed?

Your vehicle might have been towed for a variety of reasons, some more serious than others. Even if it was an accident on your side, the police and towing firms aren’t interested. They need your automobile to be moved from an area where it is not permitted, and you will be charged accordingly. Some of the most prevalent causes of being towed are:

1. Traffic obstruction

If you are found to be impeding the free flow of traffic, your vehicle may be towed. Perhaps you didn’t pull far enough into a parking spot, and the rear end of your car is in the lane, or you’re double-parked outside a business. The authorities will want your vehicle relocated as soon as possible in order to re-establish traffic flow.

2. Unpaid parking tickets

Unpaid parking tickets or moving fines A police officer has the authority to verify your license plates against the DMV system for offenses. That stack of unpaid parking tickets on your desk might result in tow to the city lot.

Even if you’re in a financial bind, it’s best to pay your parking fines or moving infractions as soon as possible, even if it involves borrowing money from a friend or family member. The repercussions of failing to pay them on time might be severe.

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3. Parking in a restricted area

Parking in a “no parking” or “towing zone” zone If you park in an area plainly marked as “prohibited parking,” you risk being towed.

4. A vehicle abandoned for a long period

If you are leaving your car for an extended period, such as while going on vacation, it is better to park it off the street or in a dedicated parking garage or lot. Simply parking it in a public lot or on the street may give authorities the impression that it has been abandoned and must be towed.

5. Parking in a handicapped zone

You are parked in a disabled space without permission, or you are blocking a handicapped ramp or other access points. Although regulations governing access for individuals with disabilities differ from state to state, it is generally prohibited to obstruct any handicap access point.

6. Expired registration plates or poorly fixed car plates

Your registration is out of date, or your license plates aren’t correctly attached to your vehicle. Any obvious infraction reported to the police or other traffic authorities may result in your vehicle being towed. One of the most common reasons for having your automobile towed on the spot is that your registration documents have expired. To avoid this scenario, visually inspect your vehicle regularly to verify that your license plates are not hung by a bolt or concealed in any manner.

If you don’t have money, it can be challenging to pay for auto insurance. Check out How To Get Very Cheap Car Insurance With No Deposit

7. Blocking of fire hydrants

It is prohibited in every state in the United States to obstruct a fire hydrant that may be needed promptly in the case of a fire. Although each state has its own set of restrictions about how far you must be from a fire hydrant, it is normally 15 or 20 feet in either direction.

How Can I Find My Car After It Has Been Towed?

If your car is missing and you’ve verified that it was not stolen, the next thing to do is to confirm if your car is in a private lot or a city impound lot.

After this is confirmed, your next question should be, “Where was my car towed?” You may be able to answer this question in one of three ways.

  • First, if there are “no parking signs,” examine whether they provide information on where cars are hauled or a phone number to contact for further information.
  • You can call the cops. It’s advisable to not dial 911, which is reserved for only emergencies. You can use the nearest information directory to find a close precinct close to you and make a report, or you can also dial 411.
  • If you reside in a major city, you should first go online to see if your city has a toll-free number you may contact for information. Some places, such as Los Angeles, enable you to enter your license number online and quickly identify the location of your car.

How To Get Your Towed Car Back Without Paying

If you do not have money to pay for your towed car, you might be trying to figure out how to get your towed car back without paying. This section highlights the steps to follow to get your towed car back without paying.

1. Determine why your vehicle was towed

The first thing you should do is figure out why your car is being towed. Some of the reasons your car may be towed are as follows:

  • Violation of the law
  • Unpaid auto insurance
  • Illegal parking
  • Unpaid tickets

It’s worth noting that if your towed car is linked to illegal activities, you won’t be able to reclaim it until you can prove otherwise.

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2. Investigate Your Violation

Secondly, go through your infraction again. Did you park illegally or legally? If you check around and see no signs suggesting whether or not to park, you may be able to avoid paying the towing firm. If your automobile is towed into an apartment complex, file a complaint with the apartment managers. Inquire about the reason(s) for your car being towed and where it is being transported.

Assume you park a car with a “For Sale” sign in front of a business or restaurant. Some businesses may offer to tow your vehicle. However, if you can show that you just parked to go shopping with them, it will be freed. The reason for the tow is that they feel you are trespassing on their property in order to market your product.

3. Research your state’s laws on towing

Depending on your state’s law, a towing firm may be assigned to tow your vehicle. You must ensure that the tow yard is not predating but acting honestly. Some jurisdictions regulate car towing and are recognized by auto insurance companies to keep tow yards from engaging in abusive and illegal operations. A tow yard may default, and you can sue them to prevent having to pay to have your vehicle recovered. If the towing company is proven guilty, it might face a large fine.

4. Make a report to the police

If you are uncertain about where your vehicle has been towed, you may contact the police. When you are guilty of a crime, the authorities usually cannot order a tow yard to return your automobile. At most, the police can act as a go-between between you and the tow yard to keep things peaceful.

Some police officers may request that the tow yard reconsider their actions, although this nearly never results in a favorable outcome. Meanwhile, because towing is a business, you should be aware that the tow yard collaborates with the authorities.

5. Make use of towing plans

If the dialogue fails to produce a beneficial result, request alternatives from the tow yard. Some tow yards offer payment options to alleviate financial stress or reduce the expense of reclaiming your towed car. Furthermore, depending on the towing business, you may be provided a variety of choices to choose from to settle your vehicle without having to pay money.

6. Hold a meeting at your local church

You may always get a towed car returned for free by using a local church charity program. Depending on your state, the local church may organize a charity initiative to assist people in reclaiming their vehicles from towing storage. Meanwhile, some churches provide the opportunity for people to get free automobiles.

Because the church may not have enough funds to meet the two costs, you might provide your services and be compensated by the church. Your church might just be the way to get a towed car back without paying.

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7. Get help from family or friends

Most of the time, the key to how to get your towed car back without paying might lie with your family and friends. No money? Well, there’d be no problem with your friends, family, and well-wishers available.

You may request free money or borrow up to the tow fee. In your money request letter, explain that your vehicle was towed and that you need assistance getting it out of storage since the bill is fast piling up. Furthermore, your family or friends may know of a way to get your towed car back without paying.

8. Obtain a title loan

A title loan is a sort of secured loan in which borrowers can use the title of their car as security. Borrowers who get title loans must agree to enable a lender to place a mortgage on their vehicle title and temporarily relinquish the hard copy of their vehicle title in return for a loan amount.

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If the towing company is being unreasonable and exploitative, free legal aid is another way to get your towed automobile returned without paying. If the legal case is successful, you may not have to pay to retrieve the car. Your free legal representation must, however, be able to demonstrate that you do not deserve to have your car towed.

It is important to note that if it is revealed that your automobile was towed in connection with a crime, you will not be eligible for free legal representation. Free legal aid is intended for people who are unable to collect their vehicles from a tow yard due to financial constraints. Free legal cases are one of the ways used to get your towed car back without paying.

10. Ask a non-profit for help

If your car helps you get to and from work, you may be able to seek help from a non-profit group to recover your mode of transportation. Unfortunately, this type of support is not provided in the majority of places. Nonetheless, you can get a low-interest loan or grant from a charitable organization to get your impounded automobile out of the impound lot, which is still a win nonetheless!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but this is a tricky area as your vehicle can be tracked, bringing the police to your door.

Towing fees generally depend on the size of the car. Larger cars attract higher fees.

Yes, a tow truck in the process of transporting your car to the impound lot might damage your car bumper.

No, unless you become a regular at the towing company or rack up unpaid tickets.

The company is legally authorized to seize your vehicle. They can also auction off your vehicle when it’s not claimed for a long period of time.

Conclusion

Searching for how to get your towed car back can be prevented by being careful not to break any of the rules that might get your car towed. Now that we’ve highlighted some tips on how to get a towed car back without paying, you can decide which choices are ideal for you and put them into action.

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