Towed in Philadelphia: why it happens and how to get the car back

Coming back to an empty parking space is a bad afternoon. Most of the time the car has not been stolen, it has been towed, and the faster you work out which the cheaper the whole thing gets.

Why cars get taken

• Parked in a tow-away zone, a bus stop, a bike lane or across a driveway.
• Blocking a hydrant, a crosswalk or a handicapped ramp.
• Street cleaning or a posted temporary no-parking sign for construction or an event.
• Expired registration or inspection, or accumulated unpaid tickets.
• Parked on private property without permission, which is a different process entirely.
• Left after an accident, where the vehicle is removed from the scene.

Find out who has it

If the city took it, the vehicle goes to an official lot and there is a record of it. If it came off private property, the sign at the entrance is legally required to say who tows for that lot. Photograph that sign. If police had it removed after a collision, the responding district will know which rotation company was called.

Bring the right paperwork

You will generally need photo identification, proof that the vehicle is yours such as the registration or title, and valid insurance. If you are collecting on somebody else's behalf, expect to need written authorisation. Turning up without these is the most common reason people make the trip twice.

Storage is the part that hurts

The tow itself is a fixed cost. Storage is charged by the day and it keeps running while the car sits. If there is a dispute to be had, have it after the vehicle is out. Every day you spend arguing is another day on the bill.

If it is not driveable when you get there

Plenty of cars come out of a lot needing work, either because of why they were taken or because of how long they sat. We can collect it from the lot and bring it straight to our shop, which means one tow instead of two and one place dealing with the whole thing.