Documents for picking up a car from the impound lot
This is not to say that picking up your car is so difficult; the process itself is quite simple, but it can take a decent amount of your time and money. It’s definitely not possible to pick up a car without ownership documents; prepare your documents before going to the impound lot. You must understand that without documents no one will give you property, despite the fact that it belongs to you. This is the order, and everyone is obliged to follow it.
You must have with you:
- passport;
- driving license;
- STS;
- OSAGO policy;
- a document from the traffic police giving permission to receive a car;
- if you want to send another person to pick up the car, he will need a notarized power of attorney, without this the car will definitely not be returned.
After you have prepared all the above documents, you can proceed to the next step - obtaining a permit from the State Traffic Inspectorate. If the package of documents is not complete, you don’t have to waste your time, because you simply won’t be given permission to pick up your car. It’s better to think about how you can complete the missing papers as quickly as possible.
Reason for placing transport on a special site
An impound lot is a specialized guarded parking lot where the vehicles of violators are placed. The vehicle is driven to it on a tow truck in the presence of a protocol issued by a law enforcement officer for an offense committed.
In Part 1, Art. 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation lists all cases when a vehicle is detained and driven to an impound lot . This:
- Lack of documents that the driver must have in his hands in accordance with the rules of the road (technical passport, driver's license, etc.).
- The vehicle's brake system, clutch, or steering are faulty.
- The driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- The inspector demands a medical examination for alcohol intoxication, but he refuses it.
- The judge revoked his driver's license, but the driver continues to drive his vehicle.
- Violating the rules of stopping and parking, creating an obstacle on the road for the passage of other vehicles.
- If a traffic accident occurred and the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Important! The traffic police inspector evacuates the vehicle without waiting for the driver from the store or place of work.
When making a seizure without his presence, he draws up a protocol in the presence of two witnesses, guided by Part 8, Art. 27.13 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
Is the lack of insurance a reason for evacuation?
A traffic police officer has the right to stop any car to check documents, but the lack of an MTPL insurance policy is not a reason to call a tow truck.
Noticing that the driver parked incorrectly, the traffic policeman draws up a report . Sometimes, due to parking in the wrong place, he will detect the absence of an MTPL insurance policy. Federal Law 40 prohibits the operation of a vehicle without an insurance policy.
What does the driver face for both offences? He will be fined for lack of insurance, and for parking he will be punished by evacuation to a special site. To pick up a car from there, you need to pay for each day you park it. To receive the protocol in hand, you will have to pay a fine for the 2nd offense.
Is it possible to pick up a car without compulsory motor insurance from an impound lot?
If for some reason you have not taken out compulsory insurance for your vehicle, you still have to do it. It’s definitely not possible to pick up the car without it; this is a mandatory requirement. And no matter how many discussions there are in various forums, legal scholars consider this requirement to be justified.
The law contains a clear requirement that obliges drivers to have a compulsory motor liability insurance policy, so you should not hope that you will be able to save money here too. If you want to continue using the car, then put the documents in order.
Why are they evacuating?
The liquidation of a vehicle in a penalty area is compulsory and is a measure of administrative punishment when an offense is committed. A car can be towed due to various circumstances. The main ones are presented below:
- the car was involved in an accident;
- improper parking;
- vehicle malfunction;
- traffic violation;
- no registration plates;
- The driver does not have the necessary documents, including a car insurance policy.
Is it possible to pick up a car from an impound lot without the owner and without insurance?
What should I do if I'm not driving my own car? How can I pick her up from the impound lot?
The situation is also quite common and quite normal, because the owner himself cannot always do this, for example, if he is located in a completely different city, or maybe in another country.
Of course, there are no problems that cannot be solved; for this you will need two documents: a notarized power of attorney and an MTPL policy in which you are included. Before you receive someone else's car for use, it is assumed that you already have these documents. Therefore, in essence, you won’t need anything new. If there are no documents, fill them out urgently, since you won’t be able to pick up the car without them, and leaving the car in the impound lot every day costs a lot.
In our opinion, this requirement is very logical, since it is impossible to allow a complete stranger to calmly come and take someone else’s property. If this were so, many people would use this opportunity for criminal purposes.
About fines
If for any reason a driver drives a car without insurance, he risks receiving a fine from a traffic police inspector. The amount of sanctions varies depending on the situation:
- If the driver forgot the insurance policy at home – 500 rubles;
- If the policy is not issued at all – 800 rubles;
- If the insurance has expired - 800 rubles;
- If the car was driven by another person not included in the insurance – 500 rubles;
- If the driver has issued a seasonal MTPL, but drives the car during the wrong season – 500 rubles.
They won’t give away the car without a policy: what to do?
It doesn’t matter who will pick up the car, there must be a compulsory motor liability insurance policy in any case. Most often, the lack of insurance may be due, for example, to the fact that the policy is expired, or the policy is seasonal and its validity is not relevant during this period. It also happens that the owner thus saved money and did not worry about having a policy. Such savings are nothing more than self-deception, since you will still have to take out insurance, and in the event of an accident, you will have to pay out of your own pocket.
Also, don’t expect to be able to “negotiate on the spot” and still not take out insurance. In recent years, reaching such an “agreement” has become increasingly difficult, since all work processes of State Traffic Inspectorate employees are recorded on video cameras, and many employees are not ready to break the law. You must understand that if you are too persistent, you can only do harm, since attempting to give a bribe is a serious crime that will inevitably entail punishment. We do not recommend that you solve problems in these ways.
There is a policy, but it is in a towed car
If you have a policy, you must first pick it up and only then obtain permission. You'll have to do a fair amount of riding, but there's no way around it.
First, find out the exact location of the impound lot. Afterwards you need to go there and explain the whole situation to the employees.
In order to pick up the documents, the impound lot employees will draw up a report, open the car; if the documents belong to you, they will be handed over against signature, and then they will also seal the car. With the received documents, you can go to the State Traffic Inspectorate and get permission.
Only after permission do you have grounds to pick up your vehicle. Of course, to do this you need to return to the impound lot again.
The advantage is that such organizations work 24/7, and you can do this whenever it is convenient for you. But still, it will be better if you notify in advance of your intention to pick up the car. Situations are different, it is better not to rush, and once again clarify the information to avoid misunderstandings.
Is the absence of compulsory motor insurance a reason for evacuation?
According to the Federal Law “On Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance”, every person driving a vehicle is required to insure their motor third party liability. It is prohibited to drive without a valid motor vehicle license; this will result in a fine of 500 to 800 rubles.
Attention! Until 2014, in the absence of insurance, a penalty was applied in the form of confiscation of license plates and transportation to a parking lot. This norm has been abolished, and now traffic police officers do not have the right to do this.
When stopping a vehicle, traffic police officers have the right to demand compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance for inspection. If a document is missing, a protocol is issued and a fine is imposed. Regardless of the number of violations, a car cannot be confiscated just because there is no insurance policy. To do this, it is necessary that the driver has committed more serious violations, for example, driving while intoxicated was recorded or an accident occurred, and then it turned out that the motorist had expired insurance.
Only in one case is the law allowed to drive without compulsory motor liability insurance within 10 days after the expiration of the policy, if a car was purchased or sold. This period is allotted for completing registration documents and concluding a new contract.
No policy
As mentioned earlier, there are not many options. If there is no policy at all, or there is only a seasonal one, and it is not currently valid, you will have to take out a new one.
In such a situation, you should not delay the registration, since the cost of the impound lot cannot be called low. The sooner you get insurance, the less you have to pay. In your case, the loss of time is equal to the loss of money; you should not delay resolving the issue.
If your policy expired recently, less than a month ago, the procedure will be simplified. No documents are needed, you just have to pay extra and renew the validity period. This can even be done online, which is also very convenient for you.
If there is no policy at all, or it has long expired, go to the insurer and draw up a new contract. It is important to understand that first of all you need this, since driving without a policy entails many risks.
Remember that if all documents are in order, many problems can be solved very simply. As a rule, the lack of necessary documents entails additional costs and difficulties. Take care of this in advance, and then you won't have to worry about anything.
The legislative framework
The procedure and procedure for carrying out forced evacuation are regulated at the legislative level. Regulatory regulations include:
- Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation;
- Decree of the Moscow government of April 9, 2012 No. 216;
- Law of the city of Moscow dated July 11, 2012 regarding the rules for moving vehicles into the impound area, payment of transportation and storage costs.
How is the fine paid?
Before receiving your car, you must read the rules and pay the fine in full. You can pay for violations and car towing at any banking institution.
First, you should familiarize yourself with the details of the required authority. As soon as the payment is made to the bank employees, the violator must contact the traffic police officer and present the receipt.
As soon as the inspector has the receipt for payment, the owner of the car will be issued a certificate of permission to remove the vehicle from the penalty area.
Recommendations
Of course, no driver is immune from unpleasant situations on the road. However, there are some points that will help reduce the risk of having your car towed to an impound lot:
- You should park in designated areas. You may have to “stand” a little further from your place of work, but then you won’t have to spend even more time on paperwork and repossession of the car;
- It is best to keep the documents for the car with you so that, if necessary, the situation can be resolved in a short time;
- Do not drive while intoxicated.
In what cases can a car be towed?
Movable property can be sent to the impound lot in several cases:
- as a result of an accident;
- in case of violation of the rules regarding parking;
- as a result of the lack of a certificate confirming the right to drive;
- if there is no insurance;
- in case of detection of errors in the operation of the vehicle.
If trouble has already affected the driver, he first needs to think about insurance. The period of stay of the vehicle (vehicle) at the impound lot depends on it.
