QuestionHi Richard,
My car was towed yesterday from a residential street in San Diego, CA. The police department called one of the tow companies it has contracted because I was blocking a drive way. The fee to get my car out of impound is $506.00. That seems excessive to me. I've never heard of anyone having to pay this much. This is how the tow company broke down the total:
$102.00 negligence fee
$159.00 tow fee
$35.00 mileage fee
$32.00 labor fee
$42.00 dolly fee
$60.00 wench fee
$34.00 storage fee
That comes out to $464.00, but I am assuming with taxes it comes out to $506.00. From your experience does this seem excessive to you? Shouldn't the tow fee include the mileage, labor, dolly, and wench fee? I feel I am getting ripped off. I understand it was my fault, but can you offer advice for this? The tow company said that these are all standard rates and can't do anything about it. I know the city has to cap the charges, but I don't know what that cap is. I can't get in touch with the liscencing and permit office until tomorrow. Today is Sunday, and I have to get my car.
Any information you can give me would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Ana Contreras
Answer$102.00 negligence fee
$159.00 tow fee
$35.00 mileage fee
$32.00 labor fee
$42.00 dolly fee
$60.00 wench fee
$34.00 storage fee
Negligence fee? never heard of that one...
Dollies are the small wheels on the back of the tow truck which they use to lift one end of the vehicle to safely tow it with all 4 wheels off the ground..
Labor, and "winch" fee, well that makes me wonder what is happening there. After all if the labor is to install the dollies (takes about 1 to 2 minutes) when why is it charged for the service when you bill for it already..
Winch fee, was it between trees or in the mud? That fee confuses me as that is usually charged for having to work at getting the vehicle out of a space for towing..
As to the rates, well the laws which cover Private Property tow aways was updated in Jan 2007 and as such have made the rates the same a the tow rates for any and all law enforcement contracts such as the CHP, County or City agencies they tow for... Unfortunately each of them have different rates and as such I can not tell you specifically if the charges are wrong, but those 3 I would question big time...
Now I know I told you that California has laws on this, and there is a huge reference section on the California DMV web site... A link is at the end of the answer, and you can search it better than I can as you would have all the specific answers while I would be guessing at what applies...
(PS it is also searchable by letter or subject)
I do know that San Diego has a tow officer at the police department who oversees the towing companies and I would be contacting them for more information as this was a police ordered tow... You might find the answers and definitions for the listed charges from them..
Good luck and happy reading (LOL, you will understand when you start reading all the laws regarding towing)
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc_index_p.htm
