Impounding a vehicle means when police, a towing agency, or a private agency seize someone’s vehicle. This can depend on a few factors, for instance, illegal parking. Getting your vehicle impounded could be an unfortunate thing to happen, especially as it can cost you a daily fee.
Impound fees can include a range of other fees, such as towing and storage fees. This can also vary by state, county, or city. In this article, we will discuss the factors that influence fees, how much is the impound fee per day, and how you can release your impounded vehicle.
What Is An Impound Fee?
Vehicle impounding is a legal way of holding someone’s vehicle captive in a tow yard or an impoundment lot before they are returned to their rightful owner or recycled. Impound fees are the charges the law enforcement puts on your vehicle to cover the cost of towing and storing. A towing agency can also impound your vehicle and charge you for towing.
Usually, the police or agencies can impound a vehicle if it has violated any law and send it to an impound lot where it is stored until the owner pays the impound fee.
Impound fees are based on the following:
- Towing: Towing fees can depend on the type of vehicle and the charge for towing it away from its location to the towing yard.
- Storage: This fee is charged for storing the vehicle and is charged on a daily basis.
- Administrative fees: paperwork and record-keeping of the vehicle’s condition can also cost you a fee to cover up for time and resources.
Not paying the impound fee can actually have consequences. If you choose to ignore the fee, you will be charged an extra fee that can cost up to thousands of dollars. Still ignoring the notices and fees can result in losing the vehicle too.
The impounding agency can sell your vehicle, and you will still be left to pay the pending dues.
Why Your Vehicle Can Be Impounded?
The police, towing, and private agencies have the right to impound a vehicle if it is violating any law. It will then be stored in an impound lot until the owner claims it back. If, in any case, you feel that you did obey all rules and your vehicle was impounded for no reason, you can hire a lawyer to fight the case for you.
Sometimes a vehicle can be impounded for public safety. Read the following list to know more reasons why your vehicle can be impounded and to avoid getting stuck in this situation:
- Driving illegally with no license
- Leaving your vehicle unattended on public streets or alleys for more than 72 hours
- If your vehicle was on private property for more than 4 hours without the permission of the property’s owner
- If you’ve stolen a car
- The police can impound your car if it was involved in an accident and you’re in no state to drive.
- It can also be impounded if it was involved in a crime.
- Parking fines that have not been paid
- If you were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Using illegal license plates
- Expired registration or insurance
Keep all these reasons in mind and avoid having an impounded vehicle, as the authority will place charges on your vehicle on a daily basis.
How Much Does It Cost To Get a Car Out of Impound?
Getting stuck in a tricky situation like this can be frustrating, especially because it’s actually going to cost you and you lose your vehicle due to the impounding. To have your car released, you need to pay the fine if you haven’t already, and other charges such as the days your vehicle was stored and the redemption fee.
It’s important to understand on what basis the charges are placed and to be aware of how much impound fee per day you will be facing. The impound fee will depend on how many days your vehicle was in the impound lot.
You can be faced with other charges, including towing, storage, and fines. It can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000 depending on your vehicle type and the duration of the vehicle impounded.
Factors that influence impounding fees
An impounded vehicle can result in heavy charges and expenses. If you choose to ignore this fee, you can face a lawsuit, or the authorities can even sell your car.
The fee will depend on many other factors, including towing fees, the weight of the vehicle, storage, the reason for impounding, paperwork, and the location of the impound lot. Fees may also vary from state to state. There isn’t any fixed amount throughout the country.
Here is a general idea of the cost:
- Towing fees: The towing fees can range from $230 to $460 depending on your vehicle size and weight. For example, in California, lightweight vehicles such as a Geo can cost $230 and heavy vehicles cost $460.
- Storage fees: The storage fees depend on how long your car was stored in the impound lot. This is usually charged on a daily basis. This also depends according to states, as California has a storage fee of $50-$100 per day and New York has $20 per day for the first 5 days and $50 per day after that.
- Impound fee: This fee will depend on the reason your vehicle was impounded. This generally starts at $75.
- Administrative fee: This involves all the paperwork. In Arizona, this can cost around $150 or more.
- Redemption fee: You will face an extra charge for the release of your vehicle. This can also depend on the state and the reason your vehicle was impounded in the first place. For example, in Florida, it costs $100.
Generally, you can be facing a charge anywhere between $100 and $1000. However, if your car was impounded by the police after an accident, it’s most likely you might not face any charges or a very small amount since it wasn’t for illegal reasons.
How To Get My Car Out of Impound?
If you do not get your car released as soon as possible, you can face extra charges along with remaining without transport, which can interfere with daily errands. Having your car released is an easy process. The only difficult part about it is paying all those charges off. Keep in mind that the car will only be released to its registered owner.
First, know the location of the impound lot your car is being stored at. You can check with your local government agency to know the location of your car. You may also be sent an email that tells you where your car is being taken.
All you need to do then is take the following documentation, pay the fee, and your car will be released. The documents required for releasing the vehicle are:
- Proof of identity
- Driver’s license
- Proof of ownership
- Insurance documents
- VIN and license plate number
If, for any reason, you are unable to claim your vehicle and you are sending someone else to represent you, they will need to carry an authority letter signed by you and proof of your passport to match those signatures.
How To Prevent Your Car From Being Impounded?
Getting your car impounded is not the most pleasant situation and can cost up to hundreds of dollars to have your vehicle released. The worst part, is that not everyone has that kind of money to pay for impound fees. In order to avoid going through such a hassle, it’s better to take precautions.
Understand your local rules and regulations to avoid breaking them and have proper documentation of your vehicle. If your registration or insurance has expired, always make sure to have them renewed in order to avoid having your vehicle impounded.
Follow the speed limit in the areas you are in. Certain areas, such as school zones, have specific speed limits. Make sure to obey such rules.
Know where you are allowed to park. Parking in handicapped parking without having a handicap sticker on your vehicle or on private property without the rightful owner’s permission can cause your car impounded. If you are unaware of where you are supposed to park, always ask a local lite.
Certain parking can also have a time limit. Usually, you would be given a parking ticket if you had crossed the time limit, but in some areas, your car may be impounded.
And the last important point is, don’t drink and drive or use any sort of narcotics when behind the wheel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Impounded By Police Cost
Q1. How much does a 30-day impound cost?
The cost of impounding can vary depending on many factors, such as the reason for impounding, towing, location, storage, and the state in which the vehicle was impounded. Every state has its own charges when it comes to impounding.
In California, you can face up to a $2000 impound fee for 30 days. In other states, it can also range near around $1500-$2000.
Q2. What happens if I don’t claim my car from impound?
If your car was reported impounded or if it was stolen and found in the impounding lot, it is best advised to claim it back. If you choose not to claim your vehicle, you can be charged with extra fines.
Your vehicle will also either be sold in an auction or scrapped for metal. So not only will you lose your vehicle, you will still be left to pay the charges.
Q3. What if I didn’t do anything wrong and my vehicle was impounded?
Sometimes, the authorities may impound a vehicle without a proper warrant. If you are sure you obeyed all rules and regulations and still your vehicle was impounded, you can hire a lawyer to fight the case for you. There may be some misunderstanding, and your vehicle was impounded out of mistake.
Q4. Can I have someone else pick up my vehicle from the lot?
If you are unable to attend physically to claim your vehicle for whatever reason, you can send someone on your behalf. That person will need to carry all your vehicle’s documentation, including an authority letter that has been signed by you.
The person representing on your behalf will also need to carry a copy of your passport so the authorities can match your signature.
Q5. What happens if the towing company damages my vehicle?
In some unfortunate situations, the towing company may accidentally cause damage to your vehicle when towing it away. Usually, before towing, the towing company may take pictures and videos of your vehicle so owners cannot claim damages that were already there.
In some cases, if there has been damage after the videos were taken, and they were most probably during towing, you are allowed to make a claim.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have covered how much is the impound fee per day, the reasons for having your vehicle impounded, and how to get your car released. It is best to avoid such situations that can be a loss for you.
Maintain proper documentation of your vehicle, be aware of local laws and rules, and always pay attention to where you are parking. Doing this can help you steer clear of the situations that can get your car impounded and save you money and stress.
