Your car can typically get towed if you’re found to be driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), if and whether it is parked illegally on the side of the road or on a handicapped parking space even in some specialized parking zones (or reserved parking zones.) Even when some illegal contraband is found in your car, you can not only expect to be arrested but your car will get towed away as well. With that being said, all of the above scenarios seem to be plausible in a public setting, can police actually tow away your car from private property? That’s the question we seek to know the answer to.
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Reasons That Lead To Police Towing Away Your Car
The short answer to that question is yes, police can Tow away your car even if it is parked on private property.
- If your car appears to be abandoned to the police officer he may call in a tow driver to have it towed away.
- If your car is illegally parked (maybe a little on your neighbor’s driveway) it can be towed away.
- If your car is parked on your driveway with an unregistered license plate or registration, it can be towed away from your property.
- If your car is reported or suspected to have been an accessory to crime, it can be towed away from private property.
- If you have not paid for your car in full and are behind with the payments your car can get towed away from private property by the police.
So as you can see the list goes on and on. Your Car can get towed away by the police if it doesn’t meet certain requirements or is suspected and/or reported for some crime. Even if your property is legally yours and you have the right to privacy, if you violate a rule or law with your car, it will get towed away by the police.
Preventing The Police From Towing Your Car From Your Private Property
It is no secret by now that the police can absolutely tow your car from private property but is there anything you can do to stop this from happening? Well there’s a few things you can do and here they are.
Do Not Break The Law With Your Car
If you do not want your car to get towed from your private property the first thing to do is not to break any laws with it. Even if you illegally park the car and it is reported and then you manage to drive home and get the car into your driveway. The car would still have to be towed away, there can be no exceptions to breaking the law. Thus make sure that you car is registered, do not speed, do not cut a stop sign or red light. Just simply obey the rules of the road and you will be good to go.
Remove One Or Two Tyres From Your Car
This is a life hack more than anything. If it just so happens that your car’s registration has expired and your car is parked in the driveway, you may want to remove a tyre or two. This will give the police the assumption that your car has not been driven for a while because it is not road worthy (it would be missing a tyre.) This method can also delay any urgency from the police to tow away the car. But be advised, this is only to buy you some time not to use on a regular basis because you might end up in much worse trouble than you initially would have been in. Therefore get your car’s registration updated before you take your car on the road. Police officers know that a car that is in the driveway (as opposed to in the garage) has been in use. So it is legal for them to tow it away from your property even if it is stationary.
Activate The E-Brake Or Handbrake When The Car Is Parked On Your Property
Another hack that is equally as effective when your car is parked on your driveway is activating the handbrake which would make it very hard to tow the car away. The police may end up having to tamper with the car, which will cause them a lot of legal troubles from you if you choose to do so. But as stated above, these last two methods are only hacks to buy you more time than anything else, if you follow the laws of the road accordingly there would be no reason for you to resort to some of these unconventional methods.
Use A Tyre Lock For Your Car
If the car is parked in your driveway which is essentially your private property and you are not using it on a regular basis. You can simply purchase a tyre lock to keep it from being moved or towed. This will also give the assumption that your car has not been moving in a while. Although most of the above methods may prevent the police from towing your car by buying you some time, they do not fully stop the police from towing your car on your private property, this is very important for you to know.
Conclusion
The simplest cure and prevention method is to follow the rules of the road when you are driving in your car. It is also important to know your legal rights to avoid being taken advantage of by the police. Always make sure that when parking your car, you park it in a parking lot that is neither designated nor restricted. If you’re simply spotted by a nosy bystander parking on an illegal space or committing a crime with your car, you are likely going to get reported. And as soon as your license plate is given to the authorities, it will be very easy for them to track you down to your private property and arrest you, and/or tow away your car without hesitation.
