If you’ve ever been towed, you know the feeling of being completely lost and confused. You were probably asking yourself: What tow company took my car? Who should I call if I want to find out where my car is? How do I know which towing company pulled my vehicle? These are all questions that bombard people when they have a car impounded. This article will consider all these questions to let you know some next steps you could take.
The tow company should provide you with a receipt
Typically, the towing company will provide you with a receipt if they tow the vehicle in your presence. However, if it happens when you’re not around, then chances are they will not provide one unless you request it from them in writing as soon as possible after your vehicle is towed.
Suppose there were no emergency circumstances and the tow truck driver followed all regulations set forth by authorities before acting. In that case, they must give notice of their intent to move a lawfully parked motor vehicle. This should happen within five minutes during daylight hours and fifteen minutes at any other time. The written notification shall include the date and approximate location where you can reclaim your vehicle.
Call the police and ask them which towing company they used for your vehicle
Sometimes the police will be the ones to tow your vehicle, and it may not always be obvious which company they used. You can call them or ask their nearest precinct for help with tracking down this information if you need it. If a vehicle is parked on private property, the owner has the right to have vehicles towed from that location without notice as required by law.
This means if they want your car gone, there is nothing legally stopping them from doing so as long as they provide five minutes’ worth of notification before getting started. With that said, many owners are happy enough with just calling a tow truck driver rather than going through all these steps and arguing with you about whether or not you should still pay for the tow.
Check the tow truck driver’s license plate number on the front of their truck
If you happen to spot the tow truck driver’s license plate number on the front of their vehicle, you can call them and ask about your car. Alternatively, you can look up more information online if this is easier for you. Calling the tow truck company gives you direct contact with people that have a first-hand idea of where your car might be.
Try calling local impound lots or checking their websites
If you aren’t sure which company towed your car, the local impound lots are first to look. Try calling any towing services in the locality. Most tow truck drivers will be happy to answer a few questions in exchange for future business, so they can tell you what time of day they picked up someone else’s vehicle and if it was from their lot or not. You should also check online for impound lots—some may have an area on their website that lets visitors search through all the records kept at those locations. If your vehicle was towed within the past 24 hours (or less), this could give you some clues about where to find it next without having to make phone call after phone call asking questions.
Call city hall to ask where your towed car was taken
If you live in a city, there will likely be an impound lot for the area where your car was taken. You can call up to ask about this—even if they don’t have any records available, they may know who has access to them or what department handles these types of cases. They can also often give out information such as how much time needs to pass before paying the fine and reclaiming your vehicle with no questions asked.
Check your credit card statement for charges from a tow truck company
If the tow truck company is a legitimate business, you can find them listed on your credit card statement. This could be one of those rare cases where paying to have your car towed might not sound like such an awful idea after all if that’s what it takes to get back in touch with these people and figure out which lot they dropped off your vehicle.
If all the above fails, it may be time to take out that phone book again to call every single local tow truck driver within your area or state until you find someone who knows something about where they picked up your vehicle. They should also have some records of their pickups, which can give clues. If your vehicle keeps getting towed every time, you might want to consider changing how and where you park so that it doesn’t happen again.
Conclusion
The next time you realize that your car was towed, you might want to try some of the above tips. The above guide should help you track down your vehicle and reclaim it. Finally, call our tow service for more information about what we do at our auto recovery.
FAQ
How do you find your towed vehicle?
The best way to find out if your vehicle has been towed away is by checking the front of the tow truck driver’s license plate. If you can’t locate the company in the area, you might want to call around and ask other local tow truck companies to see which one took your vehicle.
Where do towed vehicles go?
When your car gets towed, it is taken to a tow lot. You can find out which one by calling around and asking other local tow truck companies to see which one took your vehicle or by going online if you know what company towed them.