Lots of people in DFW have used a towing company when their car has been in a wreck, is in need of repair, or when they need a vehicle moved from one location to another. Many have also utilized a full service towing company, such as Titan Towing, for roadside assistance when they run out of gas, are locked out of their car, or they’re having trouble with minor repairs such as their car battery. So, more often than not, a tow truck operator is a welcome sight to many drivers.
However, there are times when a tow occurs and it wasn’t something you expected. Towing in DFW, and many other areas throughout the country can occur when parking in an unauthorized area. When an unwanted tow occurs, you, as a consumer, do have rights. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has put together some guidelines on what to do when your car has been towed.
According to TDLR your rights are:
- If you return to your car and it is being hooked-up to a tow truck but IT IS NOT FULLY hooked up and ready for towing, you can keep your car WITHOUT paying a CHARGE. You do not need to prove ownership of the car in this instance.
- If you return to your car and IT IS FULLY HOOKED UP, READY FOR TOWING, BUT HAS NOT LEFT THE PARKING LOT, you may keep your car but YOU MUST PAY A DROP FEE. You do not need to prove ownership of the car in this instance either.
- If your car has been towed from a parking lot, you can find your car by calling the phone number on the no parking sign. You can recover your car from the vehicle storage facility after documenting that you are the owner (or allowed user) and paying the towing and storage fees.
- At the Vehicle Storage Facility, you may have access to your car to get ownership documents. You do not have to pay a fee to do this.
- At the Vehicle Storage Facility, you may have access to your car to recover personal property. You do not have to pay a fee to do this.
- You can claim or just access your car 24-hours a day and within one hour if the VSF accepts cars 24-hours a day.
- If a Vehicle Storage Facility does not accept cars 24 hours a day, you may claim your car within one hour of your request between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and midnight Monday -Saturday and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays except for nationally recognized holidays. Vehicle Storage Facilities with these hours are not required to release a car after midnight.
- You may request a TOW HEARING at any Justice of the Peace Court in the county where your car was towed if you believe your car was wrongfully towed, stored or booted; or if you were charged more than the allowed fee. You must request a tow hearing from the court within 14 days of the tow.
You DO NOT have the right to:
- Remove or dismantle any part attached to the car while it is at the VSF.
- Retrieve your car from the Vehicle Storage Facility without paying the towing, storage or other allowed fees.
- Have the boot removed without paying the booting fee.
- Retrieve your car from the Vehicle Storage Facility without demonstrating that you are the owner or authorized user of the car.
- Obtain your car after it has been removed from the parking facility but before it has been placed in a Vehicle Storage Facility.
If you find yourself with an unwanted tow, it’s important to know what to do and to know your rights as a car owner. Further, more detailed, information can be found at the TDLR website. Titan towing takes pride in the ethical, professional services we provide to all of our customers and we are happy to share this helpful consumer information with you.
