What happens if I don't claim my towed car?

Submitted by 420_Braze_it t3_11sd99d in Washington

I can't find any accurate or up to date information online specifically related to washington laws around this. Long story short, an old car I have got towed to a local yard. I'm considering not claiming the car because the value is probably less than it will cost for me to get it from the yard. Will anyone try to track me down and make me pay for it if I simply do not claim the car? Are there any other repercussions for doing this? Thanks for any advice.

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datscrazee t1_jcd6au7 wrote

“Once the towing company has your vehicle for 120 hours, they consider it and any campers, snowmobiles, jet skis, or other cars attached to or on the towed vehicle abandoned.

After it has your vehicle for 120 hours, the tow company must give DoL an abandoned vehicle report. Within 72 hours of getting that report, DoL must give the tow company your contact info.

Within 24 hours of getting your contact info, not counting weekends or holidays, the towing company must mail you a notice of custody and sale. It must get proof of mailing from the post office.

If 15 days or more have passed since mailing the notice of custody and sale, and you have not gotten your car back or challenged the towing, the towing company will sell the car and registered or titled property at public auction. Any time before the auction, you can buy back the property by paying towing and storage fees.

*The towing company must run the auction date and time in the newspaper. You can try to buy your things back at the auction.

After the auction, you may still owe the towing company up to $500 if their costs are more than what they got from selling your car. You may owe more if law enforcement authorized the impoundment.”

https://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/resource/what-to-do-if-your-vehicle-has-been-towed

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcd6dyt wrote

Thank you

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datscrazee t1_jcd6uym wrote

No worries. Hopefully the tow company doesn’t try and pull a fast one on you and your car gets more than $500 at auction. Good luck!

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcd72xq wrote

I suppose it's probably safer not to ignore it. Worst case scenario I will just have to sign over the title to them. Thanks I will need it 🤣

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pk_sea t1_jcdkw9e wrote

This is what you should do. Call the yard up and tell them you don’t want the car and you’d like to sell it to them for salvage. Sign the title over like you would any other sale and wash your hands of this.

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datscrazee t1_jcd7d5w wrote

Yeah, I thought about that and agree. Might as well just call and see what’s up!

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3BlindMonks t1_jcd6lmt wrote

The car will be auctioned off after a specific period of time. The sale price will be applied to the debt you owe for towing and storage fees, which, by the way continue daily until the car is disposed of. Deal with it now, save some money and your credit rating.

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcd6u1o wrote

Thanks for the advice. How lovely that the tow company is closed before I even get off work -_-

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Piddy3825 t1_jcdgnx0 wrote

how does having a car towed affected your credit rating?

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3BlindMonks t1_jcdj938 wrote

If you still owe after the auction sale and don't pay, it goes to collection.

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Piddy3825 t1_jcdp85y wrote

oh,

did not know that. thanks for clarifying.

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bedlog t1_jcdzbvu wrote

i would go get it and save the long term financial hassle and legal "stuff"

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Taikiteazy t1_jceukn0 wrote

I worked as a tow truck driver for a couple years. The easiest and cheapest thing to do is go to the tow company asap and sign over the car. They stop the storage fees. Worst case scenario for you, they charge max storage because you don't respond, they auction the remains and if there is still a balance you will get a bill.

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcf9qc7 wrote

Thank you man.

This is unrelated to this particular situation, but I do have a question for you; is it normal for a tow truck operator to demand cash (wouldn't accept any other form of payment) of 250$ "because it's already hooked up to my truck?" And tell me if I didn't get it in 30 minutes he was going to drive off with my car and I'd have to pay more to get it out of the tow yard? I had that happen to me once because I accidentally parked in the wrong spot at an apartment complex I used to live at. I've always wondered if the tow truck operator was swindling me and pocketed the cash himself. He seemed like a shady little mother fucker.

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Taikiteazy t1_jcgz8ur wrote

He was impounding it because he was called to do so by the property owner. He had every legal right to do that and did you a favor as he was not required by anything wait 30 minutes. I've done the same for people, because it saves them the storage fee that is a 12hr minimum (some places 24hr minimum) charge. Once a tow truck is hooked up to a car the tow truck driver is legally responsible for the vehicle until it is dropped off, if it is being impounded they can't legally just drop it back off, they will get fired and the tow company will get sued. That driver likely didn't pocket the cash, but a lot of driver are on commission (30-33% is normal) so he will get a chunk of it anyways.

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420_Braze_it OP t1_jcgzhtx wrote

Fair enough. Wish my girlfriend at the time had woken me up sooner so I'd been able to get out there before he hooked it up to the truck lol.

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Upstairs_Size4757 t1_jcdc189 wrote

Do they still have the law if you don't pay they can put a hold on renewing your driver's license?

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zealNW t1_jcdke67 wrote

My old car got stolen and stripped, I didn't want to deal with the bs so I just went down to the towing company and signed over the title.

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