Towing

Factual Questions
1

What is required in order to have someone’s car towed? It seems any business can tow a car from their lot (often such lots are leased). Can I have a car towed if they park in my leased spot in my apartment?

I suspect the police would consider me a kook and hang up on me, but I don’t see any difference between me towing someone parked illegally in a space marked reserved and a business doing the same thing.

2

I asked my local PD what I could do about someone parking in my assigned space in my apartment building. The space wasn’t leased, but it was paid for out of my rent. They said it wasn’t their problem unless I could prove it was a stolen car or something like that.

However, the apartment could have it towed away. I have no idea what authority this comes from, but they do have it. I had a friend get towed away from a space in an old apartment building of mine and we had to pay the tow truck company about $75 to ransom my friend’s car.

The people who manage a retail area next to a movie theater routinely tow away cars parked there who are going to the theater. They even towed away a local politican’s car and faced no repercussions, so there must be some legal authority.

3

You should be able to have a car towed if you own or lease the property the car is on.

You do not own or lease a space in an apartment parking lot [or parking garage]. That is common property. The apartment/garage may assign you a space but it is not truly yours. They can change it whenever they want. Since they own/lease the property they, not you, can have cars towed.

4

Police generally don’t have the authority to enforce parking signs on private parking lots, which sometimes includes shopping center lots.

Exceptions: fire lanes and handicapped spaces. Additionally, firemen have the authority to ticket and/or tow cars in fire lanes.

5

In the state of Georgia, on private property, you must:

  1. Own or lease the land/parking lot
  2. Display in a prominent location a sign with the following information:
    -unauthorized cars will be towed
    -by whom the will be towed (towing company name)
    -the phone number of the towing company
    -reference to the GA code which covers towing/illegal parking.

The towee at least knows where to get their car.

6
      • I dunno if it’s the law, but where I live (IL state) the driver has to have the owner of the property give permission to remove the vehicle. Anybody else don’t seem to count for much.
  • Fun Fact: a cop tells me that tow truck drivers (in the US) aren’t allowed to move vehicles with people in them. -And they (tow truck drivers) are also not allowed to forcibly remove you from your vehicle; they can lose their towing license over doing it just once. They can attach and raise your car up on the truck, but they are not allowed to move it as long as somebody is in it -so if a time delay will help your situation, have somebody stay in the car.
    -And they won’t often try to attach it if that person is sitting in the drivers seat with their hand on the ignition.
  • Tow truck drivers have to call the police and have a cop come out and drag you out professionally. -Which the police will do, but if a bit of time could make any difference, there it is. - MC