When parking incorrectly, a penalty notice is often the lesser evil. If you park unfavorably, your vehicle will even be towed. This is not only really annoying, but can also be expensive. It’s better to pay meticulous attention to prohibition signs if you want to put your car somewhere. Find out below about the applicable regulations to avoid penalties.
WHO IS ALLOWED TO ORDER TOWING?
False parking on a private property
If someone has parked on a private property without the owner’s consent, the owner may have the car towed away. In this case, the parking lot in front of a house counts as well as the parking lot of a supermarket as private land. In both cases, owners are allowed to tow the car. It is important that he can prove, for example, with photos that the towing was really right.
Owners of a private car park must use a sign to indicate that the property is private. The reference to a chargeable towing in case of non-compliance with the rule may be helpful, but is not mandatory. However, owners of a private property must first pay the towing service themselves and then claim the invoice from the wrong parking lot.
Many motorists leave a note with their mobile phone number behind the windscreen when parking (knowingly) incorrectly. This can lead to the owner first trying to reach the driver and giving him the opportunity to park the car. However, the owner is under no obligation to do so and can have the car towed without a previous call.
False parking in public parking lots
If the wrongly parked car is in a public parking lot or a street, the police and the police can have it towed away. They then decide in each individual case whether towing is proportionate. Not every car that is in a no-parking zone is actually removed. But especially when driveways or other cars are blocked or the car is illegally parked in a disabled parking lot, cars are usually removed by the police.
WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF TOWING CARS?
Parking offenders have to pay the cost of towing their car themselves. The cost of towing after wrong parking depends entirely on your place of residence and the towing company.
For false parking in public parking lots, you must also pay the police administrative fee and the fine for the actual offence, the wrong parking, which is usually between 10 and 35 euros. In total, the cost of a towed car is between 150 and about 250 euros.
Some regions and cities are more expensive than others: it becomes particularly expensive in Hamburg or Frankfurt am Main – about 260 euros have to be paid by wrong parkers here when their car is towed. The amount increases the later you pick up your car at the towing service. The flat rate of the companies usually includes towing itself, as well as storing the car for 24 hours. Anything above this will be charged to the driver (not the owner) of the car.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CAR HAS BEEN TOWED
The best way to find out if your car has been towed and where it is to call the police. It will then tell you if your car has been towed and where it is located. Then, if possible, you should try to pick up your car as soon as possible, because the longer the car is kept by the towing service, the more expensive it becomes. If you feel that the cost of towing is clearly overestimated, you can also take legal action against the towing service. Make sure to check out http://sanjosetowing.org/ if you are in need of a 24hr towing services.
