Parking is a premium in many areas. When you have someone that constantly parks in your private parking spot or someone blocks your private driveway, you need to know if you can have the car towed. So, when can you contact an auto towing service and get the troublemaker's car towed?
Please note that each state has their own laws regarding when a car can be towed and when it cannot legally be towed. This guide will only provide you with general information–it's still best to contact your local law officials before making any decisions.
Private Property
If the car that you're having problems with is on your private property, the car can probably be towed immediately with no concern. So, if someone is parked on your property, making a call directly to the towing company is all you need to do.
If the car is on private property that is not residential, signs must be posted alerting drivers that they are not allowed to park there. If the signage is in place, a call to the towing service is needed. If there are no signs in place, there's not much you can do for the first 24 hours. Once 24 hours have elapsed, you can have the car towed.
Public Property
If a car is parked on public property, you'll need some assistance from law enforcement to get the car moved. The only way you should skip contacting the police is if the car is constituting a traffic hazard. In that instance, the towing service can be contacted directly, but this call should be followed by a call to the police.
If the car is parked in a public parking area that is either publicly owned or controlled, the car can be towed immediately if the driver isn't utilizing the services for the company that runs the parking lot. So, if you own a small business and someone parks in your parking lot and walks down the street to go to another business, you can have the car towed, but you should have signs posted clearly stating that the parking area is for your customers only–all others will be towed at the owner's expense.
Don't forget to think about your personal safety. Nobody will be very happy when they return to where they parked their car and find that the car has been towed. If you have any doubts or concerns, it's best to work with law enforcement and a professional towing service to eliminate the cars causing you problems.
