How to Avoid Getting Impounded

Vehicle impound in Puyallup

“Wait! I’m coming! I just needed to double park for five minutes! Please don’t tow me!” Have you ever cried this refrain at a tow truck driver? If so, you understand the consequences that happen when you can’t resist the urge to park in a spot that you’re not authorized to be. Getting your car out of impound is not a pleasant or relaxing experience. Find out why your car gets impounded and how to avoid that, as well as how to retrieve your vehicle.

Getting your car towed away

The city, the police department and private property owners are all authorized to have your car towed away if it’s not in compliance with local regulations. For instance if you’re parked in one business’ lot but not patronizing them, they have the right free up the space for their paying customers. Not paying your parking meter fees is another cause for getting towed away.

Moving violations can also lead to your vehicle getting taken away. Speeding, driving under the influence of intoxicants or other violations are all cause for police to impound your car. In some jurisdictions you don’t even have to be driving, the police simply have to charge that your vehicle was used in a crime, such as simply driving you to a spot where you later violated any law.

You’ve heard the phrase “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here”. Whenever a car is in this situation it’s in danger of getting towed away. From there it’s a short trip to the vehicle impound for Puyallup, or wherever you happen to be.

Avoiding getting towed

Getting sent to the impound lot doesn’t sound very pleasant. What can you do to keep your car free? The answer is simple- respect property owners’ rights and don’t break any laws. While this is generally pretty straightforward, there are a few things to keep in mind that are easy to forget.

• School zones: It can slip your mind that you’re in a school zone. Sometimes these special areas are only in force during certain times of the day, or when a flashing sign is lit. Keep your eyes open for alerts so you can adjust your speed as necessary.
• Parking: Sometimes businesses don’t make their parking spaces as explicit as you might like. If you have any doubts about whether or not you’re good to park in a spot, ask the business owner before you go off.
• Local regulations: While the same same things tend to be legal and illegal between jurisdictions. If you’re not sure about what’s legal in the town where you happen to be driving, check. THe saying “it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission” is a poor idea when it comes to parking and traffic.

Getting your vehicle out of the impound lot

Once you have a vehicle impounded, you have to make sure to follow certain guidelines to get it back. At Fife Towing we have a Puyallup impound yard that receives vehicles taken by the Federal Way, Fife and Fircrest police departments. If you’ve had a vehicle impounded, make sure to figure out where it is first, in cas another towing service has it. Also, it won’t do you any good to show up without the proper paperwork. Here’s what to bring if you want your car back.

• Court order: If your vehicle was impounded it is essentially in the hands of the courts, with the impound lot acting as their agent. You need to bring along a copy of a court order authorizing you to retrieve your vehicle.
• ID: Government-issued photo ID to prove who you are. A driver’s license is usually good.
• Proof of insurance: We can’t let you get back on the road without insurance.
• Payment: Getting a vehicle out of impound isn’t free. YOu have to pay or the associated costs. This can include towing, storage and possibly more.

Additional paperwork requirements

Please note that this list is the bare minimum for if you happen to be the owner of the car at the time of the impounding. If you had purchased the car and not yet taken possession of the title or registration, then you need to bring along a valid bill of sale showing your purchase.

Sometimes you simply can’t get your vehicle out on your own. Perhaps you are sick or laid up somewhere. You can send an authorized representative to pick up the vehicle, but they still need all of the required paperwork. On top of this you also need to get your insurance provider to fax over a letter authorizing that person to drive the vehicle off of the lot.

Leaving the vehicle in impound

Sometimes you just don’t have the cash on hand to pay to get your car back. Some folks opt to simply leave their vehicle with us. IF a car gets abandoned at impound it eventually either gets scrapped or auctioned off. The owner forfeits their right to the proceeds from this sale. Impound fees continue to build up over time, so simply walking away doesn’t negate your responsibility to pay. If you choose to just walk away you are leaving yourself without a vehicle and on the hook for future fees.

A caring impound service

Fife Towing is a part of the local community. Our team members live and work in the area. Like you, we all have bills to pay and just want to make our neighbors happy. The best part of our day is when we get to save stranded motorists from the side of the road. No one wakes up in the morning wanting to impound another person’s car.

We at Fife Towing are in business to serve the community. That includes motorists, police and property owners. If there’s an issue with your impounded vehicle, we can work with you to come to a reasonable and fair solution. Fife Towing is on your side in an emergency and any time that you need our help.