Can I Tow A Car In My Parking Spot?

If you live in a big city, you will likely experience abuse of the parking spot. In situations like this, you could be infuriated and you want drastic measures, either to punish the offender or prevent future occurrences.

One of the things that easily comes to the mind of many car owners, whose parking spot is now being occupied by another person, is to get the car towed. How possible is this?

The truth is that it is not easy to tow away someone’s car when it is parked in your parking spot but it is doable. It is unlikely that a towing company will agree to tow away such a vehicle, except when there is an obvious reason why it should be done.

You should prevent it rather than think about towing the car away when it happens. There are, however, instances where you can get the car towed away. Keep reading for more information.

TRENDING SEARCHES

• Are Tow Mirrors Worth It?
• Can A Towing Company Sue Me?
• Can You Tow A Car With No Brakes? Find Out Here!

Conditions when you can tow away a car that is parked in your parking spot

While it might seem not easy to tow away a car that has been parked in your parking spot, the reality is that you can get it towed under some conditions. In a situation like this, you have the ethical right to get rid of the car from your parking spot. Below are some of the conditions.

When it is abandoned

Someone might come to your working premises or neighborhoods just to do something for a few hours. Towing the car away immediately you notice it is in your spot might not be easy. However, when you notice that the car has been abandoned, you can inform the police, then call a towing company to take the car away.

For instance, if the owner of the car has failed to retrieve the car from the parking spot for 3 days or more, it will likely make you inconvenient. In such a situation, you should first inform the police before you take drastic measures.

When it causes an obstruction

You shouldn’t wait for hours or days when a car that is wrongly parked in your parking spot has obstructed the free movement of traffic.

In a situation where the car is blocking vehicles that are coming in or out of the location, you should not hesitate to inform the authority before you get the car towed away.

Violation of law

The parking spot is yours and you should not allow it to be used in violation of the law. If someone has parked in your parking spot in violation of the law, do not wait until it seems that the car has been abandoned before you get it towed away. Remember to inform the authority before you do so.

What you can do to prevent intruders from making use of your parking spot

It could be frustrating after a busy day at work and your get to your neighborhood to notice that someone has parked in your parking spot.

Knowing that you cannot get the car towed away immediately is saddening. To potentially prevent such from happening, there are some things you can do. Highlighted below are some of the things you can do to prevent intruders from your parking spot.

Use a sign

You have likely seen different warning signs whenever you want to park your vehicle in the city. In such a situation, you will likely find another parking spot, even when it is not convenient for you. You can also adopt the same method for your parking spot. Get a parking sign and place it on your spot.

Make sure the sign is placed in a location where it could be easily seen and the letters could be read easily. When you do this, you have the ethical right to tow away the car, especially when it has been abandoned for a few days or it is causing an obstruction to traffic.

Secure the place

In a situation where you can’t place a warning sign in your parking spot, you can also make use of alternatives. One of the things you can do is to secure the place. You can make use of a rope or any other form of barrier.

Whenever your car is not parked on the spot, you will use the rope or barrier to secure the spot. It is unlikely that anyone, who has seen the barrier and knows that it is a private parking spot will be willing to break the law.

Hire a security

Doing this might be costly but it is one of the ways to prevent intruders from making use of your parking spot. Whenever your car is not parked on the spot, the security will be responsible for preventing intruders. You can easily hold the person liable if an intruder should park in the place.

Procedures for towing an intruder’s car

Though it might be a difficult process, you can tow away an intruder’s car. The first thing you should do when you notice this is to calm down and make use of alternative parking spaces. The following are some of the steps you can follow before and when you can tow the car away.

Take pictures

The first thing you should do immediately you notice another car in your parking spot is to get your phone, then take pictures and record the video. This will serve as evidence in case the intruder wants to deny ever doing such.

Have a witness

The intruder might not deny parking in your spot but you should have an alibi to prevent a future issue, especially when the car gets towed away. You can ask one or two persons around to give an account of what has happened and you record the conversation.

Try to locate the intruder

There are instances where the intruder might just be someone that is visiting the neighborhood or has come to your office to briefly attend to something. If you can locate the person, you should do so immediately.

If you are lucky to locate the person, you will be free from the hassle of getting the car towed away.

Inform the authority

If you are unable to locate the person immediately, you cannot wait there all day, expecting that the person will show up. You should also know that you cannot tow away the car immediately. It is recommended that you inform the police and wait for the next line of instruction.

Call a towing company

In a situation where the car has been abandoned or it is causing any other issue, you can call the police for a physical inspection of the place.

The police will likely call a towing truck to get rid of the car. If the police have instructed you to call a towing company, which is unlikely, do not hesitate to do so. The intruder will likely get a ticket or pay a fine for the offense.

How you can hire a towing company

If you need the service of a towing company whenever you want to get rid of the car of an intruder, you have to be diligent. This is because of the abundance of the companies and you must be sure that you are dealing with a legit company. Below are some of the steps you can follow.

Ask your associate

If you have never made use of a towing company before, one of your close associates likely has. All you need to do is to call a few of your friends or family members and ask them for recommendations.

If the person has patronized any company before and the service is satisfactory, it will be easy for the person to recommend. You can also ask the police for a recommendation.

Search for one

Many companies will be suggested to you when you search for towing companies online. You can just write the contact details of a few of the companies that are closer to your location.

Before you begin to call the companies, you should first read comments from previous clients of the company. Do not call any company with many negative comments.

Call the company

You need to call each of the companies and ask them some questions if they will be willing to tow the car. You should not hesitate to tell them that the car has been wrongfully parked in your spot and you have informed the police.

The truth is some companies will decline to tow such a car while some that are willing to do it will ask you a few questions about the car and its present situation. Make sure you give an honest response to the questions. A company that agrees to tow the car might want to see the police permission that asked you to tow the car away.

 Conclusion – Can I tow a car in my parking spot?

It is better that you protect your parking spot from intruders than to think about towing the car away. Some of the things you can do has been highlighted in this article.