What Happens If You Steal Your Car From A Towing Company?

Towing companies are by the nature of their business supposed to maintain the custody of your car while it remains in their care.

However, this does not mean that they will temper with it or put your car to any use. No, not at all, the car will only remain with them, though for a specified period, until things are sorted out between you and the company.

Now, what happens if you steal your car from a towing company? If you are caught stealing your car from a towing company, you will be fined. While your car is still with the towing company, it is illegal for you to make any attempt on it, more so going as far as making any effort to steal it.

If you do this, you are likely going to be slammed with charges of trespassing,  unlawful entry or even stealing.

All these are serious charges that carry punishments ranging from payment of fines, banishment from the premises of the company and down to imprisonment.

If you have any cogent reasons to get access to it while it remains with the company, you should seek and obtain the consent of the company first, before anything. Otherwise, you are liable to get multiple charges coming your way.

Can you steal your car from a towing company?

I wouldn’t advise you to do so for obvious reasons. Any attempt on your car that is still in the custody of a towing company is illegal and punishable by law.

Any such effort simply means that you are wilfully trying to cheat the company for the services they have rendered in towing your car, as well as in keeping it safe while it stays with them. If you are lucky, you may escape with just a fine, but if you are not, you may be staring at a jail term in the face.

What are the possible reasons for stealing your car from a towing company?

It is obvious that the most acceptable reason for making any attempt at stealing your car surreptitiously from the towing company is an intent to cheat them of the fees you owe for the services rendered.

Secondly, it is also possible that you do not have the necessary paperwork to present as evidence of ownership, which could imply that the car is not yours or may even have been stolen.

Otherwise, what cogent reasons could there be for attempting to steal what is lawfully yours? I bet all the cents in the treasury that something gives off a bad smell here, don’t you think so too? That is the impression in this case anyway.

Read Also: Can a class C motorhome tow a jeep?

Will you be arrested for stealing your car from a towing company?

Of course, you would be, and it will serve you right too. For one thing, you are guilty of trespassing, and not just trespassing,  but trespassing with the intent to steal. For which you can be charged and possibly even sent to jail.

What will happen if someone else steals your car from the towing company?

In this case, you have every right to sue, if the towing company disputes or tries to refuse you any repayment or adequate compensation for the stolen car.

After all, while the car is in their custody, it was the responsibility of the company to keep it safe from any harm until you take it off their hands.

It is for this reason that you will be expected to pay for its storage, and should anything untoward happen to your vehicle during this time, the company will only have itself to blame.

All that you may be required to do is to present your registration papers of the vehicle and proof of ownership, pay up any outstanding fees for their services and afterwards, promptly put forward your claim for compensation.

If all these are done, chances are pretty high that you will get what is due to you. Should the company mount up a hunt for the thief and successfully apprehend him or her, you will still pay them for the services rendered in full before you inspect the recovered car for any damages or changes as against how you knew it.

If there is any damage, and you can prove there is, then the company has no option other than to pay for the damages. This is certainly fair enough by all standards.

Trending Searches

• Can you stop your car from being towed?
• Can a car be towed with the steering wheel locked?
• Can you tow a car without MOT?
• Does Towing Affect Alignment?
• Can a tow truck get a car out of a garage?

Are there legal charges against those that steal cars from towing companies?

Certainly,  there are. Firstly, they will be charged with trespassing into private property and any damages that might have occurred in this nefarious misconduct. Secondly, they will be charged for stealing too. All these charges are gravious ones that carry the options of fines or imprisonment or even both.

Is it illegal to steal your own car from impound?

Without any shred of contradiction, it is. Due to the illegal nature of this conduct, you are likely going to be fined for it or even sent for a reprimand in a correctional facility or both.

After all, you have only succeeded in willfully taking away something in the custody of someone else. The fact that the car is yours is hardly the issue here, what matters is that you have stolen from the towing company. Otherwise, how do you explain this to the law or even yourself for that matter, the reason (if any) for your gross misconduct?

Can a towing company ask you to pay a fine for moving your car from the company?

There is a need for some clarification before this question can be answered satisfactorily. First, was the car removed from the premises with their consent? If the answer is yes, then there is no fine whatsoever.

If it is done without their knowledge, then it amounts to stealing, which is a criminal offence for which the company has no jurisdiction.

In such a situation, they should only charge you to court and obey any ruling of the court, whether it involves a fine or not, but the courts should be allowed to interpret or decide in all matters of criminal offences.

Read Also: Can you tow the rear-wheel-drive car backwards?

FAQ

Can a towing company send you to collections?

Ideally, they shouldn’t. In fact, what is between you is your car that is in their custody, and the moment you pay them up for the services rendered, they are duty-bound to release your car to you promptly.

However, you are free with mutual consent to enter into any other business arrangement with the company on very clear and specific terms, but they do not have any right to send you on errands because your car is with them. Not at all.

What happens if your car gets towed and you don’t want it?

If your car gets towed and you don’t want it, first, you have the option of asking the company to buy it from you (or sell it off to someone else) and deduct their fees from the proceeds of its sale.

Alternatively, you may source and present a buyer who will negotiate and pay the car’s worth to the company, and the company should in turn deduct their service charges and give you whatever is left.

Should the proceeds from the sale of the car not be enough to offset your accrued bills with the company,  you are legally bound to offset the deficit. If on the other hand, the car is so damaged that it is worthless, you still have their service fees to pay. This is simply fair enough.

How do you get a towed car back without paying the fees?

Before you can get your car back without paying the fees for services rendered, there are certain procedures to take. First, take photos of the affected vehicle before you even move it from the scene of an accident or breakdown.

Next, report to the storage facility any damage observed with the physical proof before you leave. Make sure that you regularly call towing services and enquire for proof that your vehicle was actually towed. If they fail to give you any proof that your car was indeed towed, file for a tow hearing with a peace court.

How do you get your car from impound?

To get your car from an impound without money, you should first locate a low-income car loan which may assist to pay for any impound release fee. In actual fact, it means doing some or all of the following:

• Make sure that you settle your insurance on time regularly.
• Never postpone paying up for parking or speeding ticket and registration whenever necessary.
• Talk to an employer with regards to whether they can advance a paycheck or two.

You should also know that you cannot get a car out of impound without insurance. The moment that mandatory period is over, you are free to pick up your car, pay the impound fees and proceed home.

However, you must provide irrefutable proof of ownership, proof of car insurance, a valid identity card and in fact, all other necessary paperwork too.

Read Also: Will AAA tow my car to my house?

Can towing companies charge what they want?

No, they cannot and that is because towing is not just any private enterprise where proprietors of the business are at liberty to arbitrarily charge what they wish, no it ain’t. Their entire operation and all the conditions relating to it are regulated by the state government, much like all other utility services such as water and electricity.

Do I have to pay towing fees?

Yes, you have to. After all, they have rendered you their service which you ought to pay them for.  It is the responsibility of the companies to set the fees they will charge their customers, but in tandem with government advice and regulations.

These fees run from one hundred and forty-nine dollars down to one hundred and sixty, in addition to daily storage costs which is between fifty to eighty dollars.

What do companies do with unclaimed cars?

All vehicles which have stayed up to the stipulated length of time and beyond are liable to be permanently removed from the premises of the company.

In order to do this, private tow and scrap companies are usually contacted by DSNY to remove such vehicles, for a fee. The proceeds from scrapping these vehicles are used to pay for the removal, towing and storage services rendered. If there is any remnant after all outstanding fees have been paid, it goes to the owner of the vehicle.

Read Also: Can you tow a car without plates?

What happens if you can’t afford to get your car out of impound?

For whatever reasons, if you fail to collect your vehicle beyond the agreed time, the vehicle is either destroyed or sold at auction.

The money generated from this sale is usually used to pay for all the services rendered to the vehicle such as towing, storage and removal. Should the money not be enough to pay up these fees, the last known registered owner of the vehicle will be held liable for the difference.

What Happens If You Steal Your Car From A Towing Company – Conclusion 

There are situations that may necessitate your car to be towed from either the scene of an accident or breakdown. These cars are usually towed to the premises of the towing companies for a fee, and it is expected that you should claim them on or before a certain stipulated time.

For some reasons, however, some people may fail to reclaim their towed vehicles even after the expiration of the allowed time for their storage.

When this happens, the towing company is free to either destroy these vehicles or sell them off at auction. There are also instances where vehicle owners in their bid to evade paying towing fees and other charges make attempts to steal their vehicles.

Well, it is only logical to see those who attempt this theft first, as trespassers and second, as thieves. If you get caught while attempting to steal your car from the towing company, you might as well know that you are liable to be charged for either trespassing or theft or even both.

If you have any genuine reason for not wanting to pay the towing fees and other charges, there is a legal way to go about the whole thing without necessarily attempting to steal what is lawfully yours. How hilarious that nowadays people even steal from themselves! Really, humanity is advancing, or what’s your take on that assertion.