Have you woken up and you are asking the question, my car got towed and I don’t know where? This is really unfortunate because nobody wants to see their car towed and impounded. But that’s how things go sometimes and you will be the victim of the tow truck sooner or later. We all have been there, unfortunately.
- Towed Or Stolen?
- Reasons Why Towed?
- Where Did It Go?
- How To Retrieve It?
- Cost To Retrieve It
- Conclusion
Getting your car towed is not a tragedy, to be honest. That’s because everything is reversible and you could get your car back in no time. Even though it is a bit frustrating to deal with this issue.
Imagine that you had a good night out and you parked your car somewhere where it said “No Parking”. But in the dark, you probably haven’t seen the sign and the tow truck came and packed your car to the impound lot. Ahhh… It happened to me once, and I thought that my car was stolen, but fortunately, this hasn’t been the case. But more on that in a bit.
The important thing is to keep your nerves and make sure that you don’t lose them. Because this can be a quite frustrating situation from a driver’s perspective.
That’s why in this article we answer the question of my car got towed and I don’t know where. We learn if the car was really impounded or stolen. Then we see why it was impounded. All the possibilities. Then we give you a hint of where it could be and how to retrieve it. So, if you want to learn more about where your car could be, follow along.
Did Your Car Gоt Towed And You Don’t Know Where Or Stolen?
This is the first thing that you need to consider, was your car towed or stolen in the first place. You will have to have some notice if the car was towed.
Usually, on parking lots where there is paid parking. If you park improperly or forget to pay, your car will get towed. In this case, you will come to the conclusion that your car was towed and it was not stolen. In this case, you can ask the question of my car got towed and I don’t know where.
But if your car was parked regularly and you are aware that everything was done right and you paid for the parking. Then considering that the vehicle is stolen could be possible.
Cars are rarely stolen but it happens. Especially if you park around some suspicious neighborhoods that are full of crooks. The best thing is to stay away from these neighborhoods if you want to get yourself sure that your vehicle will not get stolen. Personally, I avoid parking in some places that there is no street light and it’s all dark.
A place to park that has a security guard would be your best bet if you don’t want to get your car stolen. But since we learned that the car is towed, this should not be important to you. If you are sure that your car was towed, you need to learn the possible reasons why was this the case. But more on that a bit later.
In the following chapter, we are going to cover what it means if your car got towed. And what are the next steps for you and the possible reasons why this happened precisely to you?
What Does It Mean My Car Got Towed?
This means that your car was picked up by a tow truck and taken away to an impound yard. In every bigger city, there are impound yards that are controlled by the authorities, and the cars that are towed by the tow truck end up there.
Remember what I was saying about the night that I got out from the club and noticed how my car was missing? It was actually taken to the impound yard by the tow truck. What was bad was that I had to get a cab to get home and then deal with the frustration during the whole night. And overthinking about my precious car and where it was taken.
Bad situation, I must admit. And I really understand why you are asking the question of my car got towed and I don’t know where? I know that the first thing that came to your mind was probably that the car was stolen. But this does not have to be always the case.
Try to remember where and how you parked and you probably will come to the conclusion of where is your car right now. It’s probably taken to the local pound. Or in one of the many pounds. If you live in a city with a few million residents they probably have more than one impound lot. So, the best is to call them right away after you notice that your car is missing to make sure that the car is safe in the impound lot.
Calling them will save you a ton of nerves, but more on that later. Let’s first learn the reasons why my car got towed and I don’t know where happens in the first place.
Reasons Why Would Be Your Car Towed Away?
We have covered what to do when you see my car got towed and I don’t know where. Now let’s see what are the possible reasons why your car gets towed in the first place.
Not to mention that knowing these reasons will also help you in avoiding getting your car towed by the tow truck. So, what are these reasons, why a car can get towed? Let’s find out.
1. You Obstructed the Traffic And The Car Was Towed Away
The first thing that can cause your car to get towed and ask yourself my car got towed and I don’t know where is because of obstructing the traffic.
We all love stopping somewhere in the middle of a street and turning on the hazard lights. This is basically free parking. But not for the tow truck. If you get reported and your car is there for a few minutes.
Then it is highly likely that you will get reported and the tow truck will come to pick your car up. If one is passing through or there is a tow truck around the block. The car can even be picked up much sooner than that. That’s why make sure that you don’t obstruct the traffic and park wherever there is a marked parking space. Now let’s move on to the next reason why my car got towed and I don’t know where.
2. Parked Next To A Fire Hydrant
Parking your car to a hydrant is not a good idea. Usually, the places where hydrants sit are not available for parking and you should know this.
Whenever you notice a parking space with a hydrant next to it. Avoid it if you don’t want to get your car towed. Why is this so?
This is so because there could be a fire. The firemen have to place a water hose. So it is highly likely that they will smash your windows to allow the water hose to reach the other side of the street. If you don’t believe me, google “park next to a hydrant” and see the images.
That’s why you shouldn’t park next to a hydrant. The first reason is that you will get your car towed and the second is that the car will get damaged if there is a fire around.
3. You Parked On A Parking Place For Handicapped
Parking in a place that is meant for handicapped people is not a smart idea. You will get your car towed and you will ask the question of my car got towed and I don’t know where. If you don’t want this, don’t do it.
Not to mention that the judge will not be so compassionate about you parking in a place that is meant for people with disabilities. Nobody will have a slight understanding of you. That’s why you shouldn’t do it and make sure that you park in a space that is intended for you.
4. Double Parking Or Multi Space Parking
Also, double parking can make your car get towed. Even if you paid for the parking. And will make you ask the question of my car got towed and I don’t know where. But why is this the case?
This is the case because you are not respecting the lines. There are lines that separate the parking spaces. So, if you park one wheel over the line it means that you are making an infraction.
You are basically blocking the people to park. One car for one parking space, that’s it. If you go above this, you will get fined and your car will get towed by the tow truck. And you will pay a hefty price. That’s why you should watch out for the lines.
5. Unpaid Parking Meter
If you decide not to pay the parking meter will also result in your car being towed and you asking my car got towed and I don’t know where. Parking meters are there for reason and that is to pay for the service.
Nothing is free in this world and as well as the parking. Especially in big cities that have a ton of traffic. If there wasn’t a paid parking, there would be no income for the city. And there would as well be a lot of cars on the street. And you probably don’t want that to cruise for 10 blocks until you find parking space.
So, paying is a small sacrifice that we have to make. But it is what it is.
6. Car Is Abandoned For Months And Got Towed
If you decided to abandon the car on the street. The city will notice it and a tow truck will come to collect it. They will see that you don’t have a sticker on the license plates and they have permission to pick it up.
This is the case because you park on public property. If you park it in your yard, nobody could take it from you. But on the streets, things are pretty different since no city wants the streets to be hoarded with trash. And cars are also trashed if they are not driven and do not have a purpose.
That’s why if you have a car like this. Make sure that you park it somewhere safe or sell it to a junkyard. If you don’t want to ask your self my car got towed and I don’t know where?
7. You Failed To Pay A Parking Ticket And The Car Got Towed
If you avoid paying your tickets will also result in yours being towed. And you asking yourself my car got towed and I don’t know where. Failing to pay for the tickets will mean that you are avoiding the system.
So, if you don’t pay it can mean driver’s license suspension and also vehicle getting towed once you drive it since your driver’s license will be suspended. The best thing in these situations is to pay for all of the tickets on time if you want to avoid some of these situations happening to you.
Because for one ticket to get a suspension and possibly get your car towed away it’s not worth it in my opinion.
8. Not Paying For The Lease Can Get Your Car Towed
Another reason why you can get your car towed and you asking why my car got towed and I don’t know where is if you forget to pay on your lease.
If you buy a car under a lease agreement (unless you’re willing to learn how to get out of a car lease), then you need to make sure that you don’t forget to pay for the car. I’m saying this because the leasing company will not like this and you will probably be left without your car in addition to paying the company a ton of money.
So, when you end up in a situation like this, the best is to tell them that you cannot pay anymore and you will find an agreement. Maybe you will be left without your car, but sometimes it’s better that way. You will get a cheaper car and you will have no trouble running it.
9. Suspended License Can Get Your Car Towed
If you get pulled over by the police and your license is suspended will make your car get towed. And make you ask my car got towed and I don’t know where. So, why is this the case?
This is the case because you are forbidden to drive. You cannot drive a motor vehicle until your suspension is done and have your driver’s license reinstated. If you get pulled over with a suspended or revoked driver’s license means that your driving for the day is done and you go to the station in most cases.
Then the car will get towed to the impound yard and will wait until you get your driver’s license or some relative of yours to help you out to get the car out of there. Not a great situation if you don’t have a license and nobody to help you out. Sure, you can pay a tow truck to get the car to your home but this will cost you. Either way, bad situation. Try to avoid it.
Overall, these are the main reasons that can get your car towed and make you ask why my car got towed and I don’t know where. But where did it actually go? That’s what we are going to find next.
My Car Got Towed Where It Did Go?
So, this is the important question, where did it go? If your car got towed then it probably went to the local impound lot. Every bigger city has an impound lot where these cars go.
This lot is strictly guarded and is something similar to car jail. You cannot access your car if you are not given the approval to do so. Meaning you will not be able to see your car until the paperwork is completed and everything is sorted out.
But how to find this impound lot? You can just google your city and look for impound lots that are nearby. Your car is probably somewhere around.
These lots are usually keeping the vehicles until they are sorted out. If not they go to an auction and are auctioned off or recycled if there is no value to the actual vehicle.
The important thing is that you will have to make a few phone calls to locate your car and go and get it. But before you get it you will have to pay the ticket and the fee for the time that the car was sitting in the impound lot. But in detail how you can retrieve it, we are going to cover in the following chapter.
How To Retrieve It From The Impound Lot?
We answered the question my car got towed and I don’t know where and we successfully located the vehicle. Now it’s time to see what you really need to free your car from that place and happily drive it on the roads. Let’s see which documents you are going to need to get things done the right way.
For this purpose to get your car out of jail you will need to have your driver’s license, registration information for the vehicle, and insurance information. Not to forget the money that you will have to pay for the tow and also for the car that was sitting there. Also, see if they are working with credit cards since some of these impound lots are still working with cash.
What is worse is that if you don’t have insurance, some of the lots will not release the car until you get vehicle insurance. In this case, you will also have to pay for vehicle insurance to get your car out.
But when everything is sorted out with the documents and you pay for the tow. You will be able to get your car back with no problem. A driver will bring it outside and you will be able to fully enjoy it once again. But in the future pay attention to where you park in order not to ask yourself my car got towed and I don’t know where? But what about the cost to recover a towed car? Le’s find out in the following chapter.
Cost To Recover Your Towed Car
The cost to retrieve the car from the tow yard or impound yard depends much on where this car is taken to. In most of the tow yards, you will have to pay a release fee of somewhere between $75 to $350. While in some places this is far more and can get up to $800.
In addition to this, you will probably have to pay for the ticket that you got for that infraction and this can also cost about $300. Basically, everything depends on where you are located and where your car is taken to. Some places are more expensive while some of the places are much cheaper when it comes to paying these fees of releasing the vehicle.
How To Avoid Getting Your Car Towed?
Avoiding getting your car towed is pretty easy. You need to be aware of where you are parking and make sure that you don’t park in places where parking is not allowed.
Also, make sure that you pay for your parking. If you don’t pay, the tow truck will come and take your car away and you will ask yourself. Why my car got towed and I don’t know where.
Facts on What to Do When Your Car Gets Towed
- There are several reasons why a vehicle may be towed, such as parking in no-parking or tow zones, blocking the flow of traffic, or parking next to a fire hydrant.
- Finding your towed car can be done by checking for signage or calling the police, the city’s information hotline, or local businesses.
- The cost of towing varies by location and can be higher in larger cities. Unpaid tickets must be settled before towing fees can be paid.
- Your auto insurance rates will not be affected by a one-time towing incident but may be affected if you regularly get towed for not paying penalties.
- To prevent future towing, it’s recommended to park only in authorized spots and check for signage, ensure the license and registration papers are up-to-date and visible, and pay tickets and violations on time.
- It’s important to avoid calling 911 when your car is towed, and instead, call the non-emergency police number or the city’s information hotline.
- Always check for surrounding signage or restrictions to avoid getting towed.
Conclusion To My Car Got Towed And I Don’t Know Where
Anyway, we came to the end. In this article, we covered quite a bit when it comes to this situation when you will face with. My car got towed and I don’t know where. First, we learned how to what towing means and how to know if your car was towed or possibly stolen.
Then we have covered all of the reasons why this might happen. And your car gets towed by the tow truck. Some of these reasons are pretty basic, so watch out where you park and how you park.
Lastly, we covered how you can learn where is the car and how to get it out. What documentation you will need, etc. Then we covered the costs that are involved in this process.
