Towing Issues: Towing, ohio plates, tow companies

Question
I recently moved to Maryland (howard county)and purchased a car from a local dealer...now my old car I left parked in the parking lot next door to the dealership until my husband got back in town to help me pick it up. Well by the time we got there the car was towed. It's an older car that I was going to donate anyway. They are going to charge me$175 towing fee and then storage fees. I asked if I just gave them the car would I have to pay anything and they said i would still have to pay the towing fee of the $175 even though it was less than a mile down the road for where the car was. Now I am not happy paying the towing fee if I am giving the car to them. So what will happen if I never pay the towing fee nor claim the car? Now the car has Ohio plates on it since we just moved to Maryland. So the only address they could find for me is in Ohio so there for I will never recieve a bill. What laws are there surrounding this? Any info would help. Thanks

Answer
Interesting question here..

First of all the vehicle is most likely still registered in Ohio like you say, and while it was towed in Maryland the tow company would send a certified letter to the last address for the vehicle owner... Yes the post office will most likely not forward it, but they may pass on the information as to your new address.

That being said, most tow companies also have phone systems which show numbers that call them.. Reason is so that they can call back if problems arise from calls... You might of been recorded.  But who really knows...


Now as to giving the title, well that would be cheaper than a full lien process for the tow company and as such they would not spend as much money  and in turn  you would not be liable for as much money.  Yes you are responsible for all towing and storage fees owed against the vehicle.  

If the tow company  does go and process the lien and gains title to your vehicle you are not home free. A lot of tow companies have turned to collection agencies to collect on owed money including fees from abandoned vehicles.   And we all know how collection agencies work, they always find you.  




Here is a section on liens in Maryland and it does touch a bit on towing services and the lien process..

http://mva.state.md.us/AboutMVA/INFO/27300/27300-33T.htm