Retrieve Your Car and Challenge a Wrongful Private-Property Tow

  1. Rule out theft and confirm the tow
    20 min

    Walk the spot first. Go back to the exact place you parked and look for the traces a tow leaves behind: chalk marks on the asphalt, oil or rubber streaks from the tow truck's wheels, or a small printed notice tucked under the wiper or in the driver's door jamb with a company name and phone number.

    Photograph everything before touching it. Take time-stamped photos of the empty space, any chalk or tire marks, and the posted tow-away signs at the entrances — or the entrance with no sign at all. If a security camera, a neighbor, or store staff could have seen anything, note who and when.

    No notice, no witnesses? Call the police non-emergency line — the number is on the department's official website, not 911 — and ask whether your plate was logged as impounded. Note the reference number and the officer's name. If they say the car was never impounded, ask how to file a theft report.