There are a lot of reasons that a car gets towed. Maybe it broke down, ran out of gas, or it’s parked where it isn’t supposed to be. If you own or manage a property and a vehicle is illegally parked in your area, you may want to call a towing company you can trust. Zip Tow is prepared to meet all your towing needs in Tempe. Give us a call for more information.
Before you have a car towed, though, it’s important that you understand the laws surrounding it.
Authority to Tow
According to the Tempe City Code, a towing company may only tow a car without its owner’s permission if the car is parked illegally in an area and the circumstances fall under one of three things:
- The towing company has sent a notification to the City Police Department containing these bits of information:
- The name and address of the vehicle’s owner
- The license number, identification number, and the description of the car
- The reason the vehicle is being moved with the permission of the owner
- The area where the car was taken
- The name of the company that towed the vehicle and the name and driver’s license number of the person from the company who did the towing
- The owner of the private property has requested the removal or immobilization of the car within their property. This can also be done by an agent of the owner. A written contract between the company and the owner (or owner’s agent) shall be completed. A copy of this contract will be made available upon the request of the law enforcement agency, complete with the name of the owner and their updated phone number.
- A law enforcement agency has requested the removal or immobilization of the car.
After these requirements are met, the towing company can only transport a motor vehicle from the location where it was found to the company’s parking lot.
Notice to Public of Right to Tow
When is a car parked illegally on your property? In the eyes of the law, any private parking area is open to the general public unless it meets these conditions:
- There are signs saying it is a private area and cars are not allowed to park
- These signs have to be visible from any point of the property including the entrance and exit areas.
- The signs should be at least 12×18 inches.
- Signs should contain the following information:
- Parking restriction
- Disposition of vehicles that will violate the parking restrictions
- The maximum amount of money the violator could spend. This includes storage fees and other charges that could have been the result of the disposition of the vehicle
- Contact details and address where the violator can get their vehicle back
- Every sign should include “Tempe City Code, Section 32-6”
- These rules also apply to owners of a subdivision, where parking on one or both sides of a street can be restricted.
There’s a lot to find out regarding towing rules for your private property. Be sure to contact us for any questions or requests. Our team of experts would be happy to give you the assistance you need.
