How to pick up a car from an impound lot and can it be done for free?

Some car owners are already familiar with the procedure for towing a vehicle, as well as instructions for returning the car back. At the same time, many motorists who have encountered this will agree that the evacuation procedure itself is not very pleasant.

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Since the car can be damaged when loading the car onto the platform, during transportation to the impound lot, as well as when it is already at the impound lot itself. And this is all just a small part of the negative.

After all, at a certain point, losing your vehicle can result in both financial losses and emotional stress. Which is hardly useful. Therefore, when faced with such a situation, you need to know how to get your vehicle back as soon as possible.

How to pick up a car from an impound lot?

In order to return your car from the impound lot, you need to take several simple but time-consuming steps.
At the same time, the number of steps required to return a car may be more or less - it all depends on the specific situation. The general list of actions involves:

1. Obtaining information about the location of the vehicle.
2. Receiving a copy of the protocol on bringing to administrative responsibility.
3. Payment of the penalty.
4. Obtaining special permission.
5. Arrival at the impound lot and receiving the car back for use.

How to find out where the car is?

Leaving a shopping center or cafe and not finding a parked car in place, it immediately becomes clear that it has been evacuated.
But where was he evacuated? This is an issue that needs to be resolved. There are several ways to obtain this information:

• visit the nearest traffic police department in person;
• contact the police by phone (numbers: 112, 02, 102);
• check on the official website parking.mos.ru (for residents of Moscow);
• contact the single contact center by phone +7 (495) 539-54-54 (for Moscow).

Still, the surest way would be to call the police on a simple phone number, where everyone will be provided with information about the location of the car that was evacuated.

It is possible that if you live in Moscow or are passing through it, it is much easier to use the Internet service and find your car, but alas, this service is not implemented in all Russian cities where tow trucks operate.

How to get permission?

The procedure for obtaining a permit is established by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation independently and may vary. There is no unified legislative regulation of the issue of the return of evacuated vehicles.

Let's consider the procedure for obtaining a permit using the example of the legislation of the city of Moscow.

Municipal legislative sources are:

1. Moscow Law No. 42 “On the procedure for moving vehicles to a specialized parking lot, storing them, paying the costs of moving and storing, returning vehicles in the city of Moscow,” which was adopted on June 11, 2012.2. Decree of the Moscow Government N 216-PP “On measures to implement Moscow City Law No. 42 of July 11, 2012, which was adopted on April 9, 2013.

Based on this legislation, you can obtain the necessary permission from the division of the Moscow Administrative Road Inspectorate.

This requires:

• driver's license;
• certificate of registration issued by the traffic police department;
• OSAGO insurance policy (not required when registering evacuation actions by a MADI employee).

What to do when the car is taken away along with the documents?

If any or all of the necessary documents are left in the car, you must visit the impound area.
There, after filling out the autopsy report, pick them up and get permission. List of MADI departments where it is possible to obtain permission:

1. st. 1905 Goda, no. 25 (working hours from 8:00 to 20:00).
2. st. Yuzhnoportovaya, ow. 37 (reception is available 24 hours a day).
3. st. Saraya Basmannaya, 20, building 1 (working hours from 8:00 to 20:00).
4. Entuziastov Ave., ow. 3 (reception available 24 hours a day).

Required documents

The list of documents required to obtain a permit may also differ depending on the region.

The general list includes:

• driver's license;
• receipt of payment of the fine;
• vehicle registration certificate;
• copy of the protocol.

How much does this procedure cost?

The cost of the evacuation procedure consists of several parts. Moreover, in order to pick up the vehicle, you must pay for all of them.

And consists of:

• fine for traffic violation;
• expenses associated with evacuation work;
• expenses associated with storing vehicles at the impound area.

Can I pick up the car for free?

You cannot pick up a car that is in the impound lot for free. Since the basis for its evacuation was the commission of an administrative offense, the fine for it, as well as the costs incurred in connection with the movement of the car, are assigned by law to the offender.

Is it possible to pick up a car without the owner?

A car that is used by third parties on the basis of a power of attorney from the owner can be obtained without the owner. To do this, the list of required documents must be accompanied by documents confirming the legality of the use of the vehicle by this person.

What will happen to the car if it is not taken from the impound lot?

If the owner of the car does not pick up his vehicle from the impound lot for a long time, the court will be obliged to reimburse the costs for storage.
The procedure is simple - the management of the impound lot will file a claim for reimbursement of expenses incurred. In this way, expenses associated with carrying out evacuation work may be recovered.
In case of non-execution of the court decision, the claimants will turn to the bailiffs. Next, the procedure for forced debt collection will be launched.

Reasons for transport detention

Without legal grounds for this, the traffic police inspector will not be able to simply send the car to the impound lot. All grounds are spelled out in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation; we list some of them:

• the car is left in the wrong place (parking is prohibited or under a “disabled person” sign);
• transport interferes with the movement of other cars or pedestrians;
• the car has malfunctions that do not allow further movement on the roads (the brake system has failed, the steering is broken);
• the car is driven by a citizen who has been deprived of a driver’s license;
• the driver driving the car was in a state of intoxication (alcohol, drugs or psychotropic);
• transport dangerous goods without having permits for this.

If the driver manages to eliminate the reason for the detention before the evacuation process begins, then the car must be returned to the owner immediately. For example, moving the car to a parking lot that is not marked with a disabled sign, etc.

Reasons why cars are taken to the impound lot

According to current legislation, such reasons may be the commission of an offense. At the same time, the law is often not limited to administrative offenses.

These include:

• violation of parking rules;
• lack of documents confirming the person’s authority to drive a vehicle;
• vehicle malfunctions in which, according to the Russian Federation Traffic Regulations, further operation of the vehicle is prohibited;
• lack of special permits when transporting dangerous or toxic goods;
• other reasons.

When can I pick up a car that has been towed due to drunk driving?

If the driver is drunk, this is one of the reasons why the car may be transported to the impound lot. Moreover, this can be not only alcoholic, but also narcotic and toxic intoxication. And also, according to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, drivers who:

1. Refused to undergo a medical examination if they suspected the use of alcohol, narcotic, psychotropic or toxic substances;
2. Used alcohol, drugs, toxic or psychotropic substances after an accident before the inspector’s request to undergo a medical examination;
3. They consumed it “in front of” the traffic police inspector in an effort to prove that alcohol got into their blood after the car was stopped.

Other measures that entail a fine include:

• improper parking;
• violation of transportation rules;
• dangerous and oversized cargo;
• lack of documents for transit travel if the car is moving on a road on which transit traffic is restricted;

Attention! The car can be taken from the parking lot at any time after drinking, starting from the day the offense was committed. However, not everyone can do this.

Previously, it was possible to pick up a car from an impound lot only after paying a fine. According to the new rules in force in 2021, you can pay the fine within 60 days. Moreover, you can avoid such an unpleasant event as evacuation. How? Read on.

Advice for motorists when their car is towed

The list of necessary actions recommended for car owners is extensive and may contain various tips depending on the specific situation.

Since it is not possible to provide advice on all possible situations, if you are faced with this problem, it is better to seek advice from a lawyer who is a specialist in the field of automobile legislation.

The main recommendations are:

• To quickly find the place where the vehicle was taken, call the police. This will save time.
• until the car leaves, there is an opportunity to return it free of charge;
• evacuation of a vehicle with people and animals inside is prohibited;
• You need to keep the documents with you and not leave them in the car. This way, in case of evacuation, you can speed up the return process and reduce costs.

Having learned the procedure for carrying out actions related to the movement of vehicles to the impound area, you can emphasize important points. Also, knowing the procedure for getting the car back for use can significantly speed up the procedure itself.

At the same time, you will incur much lower financial expenses. How to not only minimize negative phenomena, but also actually save part of your budget. But, it is necessary to remember that it is not knowledge about the procedure for its implementation that will help you avoid getting acquainted with this procedure, but knowledge of the rules of the road.

Didn't find the answer to your question? Find out how to solve exactly your problem - call right now: +7 (Moscow) +7 (812) 309-53-42 (St. Petersburg) It's fast and free!

Free online consultation with a car lawyer

Didn't find the answer to your question? Find out how to solve exactly your problem - call right now: +7 (Moscow) +7 (812) 309-53-42 (St. Petersburg) It's fast and free!

How to find out where a towed car is located

Of course, you should find out from the traffic police or the tow truck driver exactly where your car will be taken. If you did not do this or cannot remember the answer given to you, you will have to find out where the car is. The easiest way is to call the traffic police. The telephone number of the police duty station is 102. The duty station of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in some way serves as the unification of all emergency services, so you can contact them by calling 112. In any case, you must be informed of the address of the impound lot where your car is located.

Finding a towed car has many nuances.

In what cases can they refuse to issue a car, the actions of the car owner

The release of a car from a parking lot may be refused in the following cases :

• In the absence of the necessary documents (driver’s license, PTS, permission from the traffic police inspector);
• If the owner came to pick up the car while drunk;
• If a person who does not have the right to drive the vehicle wants to pick up the car (without a power of attorney and not included in the MTPL policy);
• No bail after being arrested for drunk driving, etc.

In the event of a refusal to issue a car, the owner of the car needs to find out the reason for the refusal and try to resolve the situation by fulfilling the requirements of the parking lot owners. Of course, the requirements must be legally justified, and if the car owner has doubts about their legality, he must contact the traffic police department for clarification.

Getting your car in the impound lot is an unfortunate situation from which no car owner is insured. In this case, it is important to remain calm and comply with the law, and in the future be more careful to prevent the incident from happening again.

Let's sum it up

In light of recent changes in legislation, it has become possible to return the car without immediately paying for tow truck services, parking or a fine. Increasingly, a workplace is being set up for traffic police officers in specialized guarded parking lots to avoid unnecessary waste of time for drivers. Of course, there are still gaps in this issue that need to be resolved. In particular, there are no uniform Methodological recommendations regulating this issue. Otherwise, now you know where to go and what documents to prepare so that you can pick up your car from the impound lot without the owner and without paying. But you won’t be able to do without a driver’s license, registration certificate and insurance.

What and how much should you pay for?

The tariff is calculated individually and depends on the category of the vehicle and engine power.

Thus, category D trucks and oversized vehicles (height more than 4 meters, length more than 20 meters, weight more than 38 tons) are assessed according to inflated criteria. More details:

What to do if your car has been towed and how to pick it up

Advice : There are times when the driver does not agree with the offense that led to the detention of the car. To verify this, he may require photo or video materials when talking with a traffic police officer, since during evacuation the entire process must be recorded on camera. If, after what he saw, the driver still believes that his car was taken away illegally, the case is sent to a commission.

The current situation with evacuation has become more complex compared to previous years - fines are increasing, the number of circumstances allowing the detention of a car is growing, and the rules that allowed drivers to quickly solve the problem of improper parking are being eliminated. In this regard, various questions arise.

26 Jun 2021 stopurist 935

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