THE US states with the worst and most predatory towing laws for drivers have been revealed by a group of experts.
Towing laws vary wildly across the country with millions of US citizens facing improper parking allegations and excessive post-towing fees, among other issues, although others are luckier.
Millions of US citizens facing improper parking allegations and excessive post-towing fees[/caption]
Towing laws vary wildly across the country with some states, like Missouri, offering multiple strong protections[/caption]
Other states, like South Dakota and Vermont, are much harder on drivers whose vehicles are towed[/caption]
Thankfully, TowingLaws have provided a resource to help consumers understand their rights and protections against predatory towing practices.
And they’ve given each state a report card grade – with, concerningly, five states being bad enough to warrant an F rating.
The user-friendly platform aims to empower consumers with knowledge about towing regulations, including simplified laws and updated details to help individuals protect themselves.
States are evaluated based on how many strong and partial consumer protections they have implemented regarding towing practices.
Each state is graded (e.g., A, B, C, D, F) based on the number of protections in place, as states with more protections receive higher grades.
At the top of the table, Missouri and New Mexico are tied for first place with an A- rating, offering 11 strong protections and two partial protections, and 12 strong protections with no partial protections, respectively.
In turn, California and Maryland are tied for third place, both earning an A- rating with California providing 11 strong protections and one partial protection and Maryland offering 10 strong protections and three partial protections.
At the bottom, though, sees South Dakota and Vermont both in last place with an F rating, each offering only one strong protection and one partial protection.
New Hampshire and Iowa are each ranked slightly higher with an F rating as well, with New Hampshire providing one strong protection and two partial protections and Iowa offering two strong protections and no partial protections.
Full list of US states with the worst ‘predatory’ towing laws
- Missouri (1st, A-): 11 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- New Mexico (1st, A-): 12 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- California (3rd, A-): 11 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- Maryland (3rd, A-): 10 strong protections and 3 partial protections.
- Nevada (5th, B+): 11 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Illinois (5th, B+): 9 strong protections and 4 partial protections.
- Hawaii (5th, B+): 10 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Washington (5th, B+): 10 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Texas (5th, B+): 11 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Connecticut (10th, B): 10 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Georgia (10th, B): 9 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Arkansas (12th, B): 8 strong protections and 3 partial protections.
- Florida (12th, B): 8 strong protections and 3 partial protections.
- Colorado (14th, B-): 8 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Tennessee (14th, B-): 8 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Oklahoma (14th, B-): 9 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- New Jersey (17th, B-): 8 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- Utah (17th, B-): 8 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- District of Columbia (19th, C+): 8 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Louisiana (19th, C+): 8 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Ohio (19th, C+): 8 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Virginia (19th, C+): 7 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Oregon (19th, C+): 7 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Kentucky (19th, C+): 6 strong protections and 4 partial protections.
- Arizona (25th, C+): 6 strong protections and 3 partial protections.
- Nebraska (25th, C+): 6 strong protections and 3 partial protections.
- Pennsylvania (27th, C): 6 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- Massachusetts (28th, C-): 6 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Idaho (28th, C-): 6 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Wyoming (28th, C-): 5 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Wisconsin (31st, C-): 5 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- West Virginia (31st, C-): 5 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- South Carolina (31st, C-): 5 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- Rhode Island (34th, D+): 5 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Minnesota (34th, D+): 4 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Delaware (34th, D+): 4 strong protections and 2 partial protections.
- Michigan (34th, D+): 5 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Alabama (38th, D): 1 strong protection and 5 partial protections.
- Kansas (38th, D): 2 strong protections and 3 partial protections.
- Indiana (40th, D-): 3 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Mississippi (40th, D-): 3 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- North Dakota (40th, D-): 3 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- New York (40th, D-): 3 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Montana (44th, D-): 2 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- North Carolina (44th, D-): 2 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- Maine (44th, D-): 2 strong protections and 1 partial protection.
- New Hampshire (47th, F): 1 strong protection and 2 partial protections.
- Iowa (47th, F): 2 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- Alaska (47th, F): 2 strong protections and 0 partial protections.
- South Dakota (50th, F): 1 strong protection and 1 partial protection.
- Vermont (50th, F): 1 strong protection and 1 partial protection.
TOWED N’ SOLD
One man in Iowa saw that F rating in practice after his car was sold without his knowledge even though he held the title.
Chris Costa, a prominent businessman in Des Moines, had his 2021 Honda CR-V towed from a private lot and were initially unaware of the tow and the charges associated with retrieving the vehicle.
The car, valued at approximately $26,000, had been purchased by the couple for their son, but it was towed after he unknowingly parked it in a prohibited spot on private property.
The report claims that he didn’t have the $380 required at the time to retrieve the towed vehicle, which covered towing and storage charges.
As a result, he attempted to gather the money on his own without involving his parents.
However, due to the towing laws in Iowa, the car was sold without their knowledge just days later.
In the state, vehicles can be sold after just 10 days if towed from a private property, with proceeds going to the towing company – in this instance, a Des Moines based firm called Crow Tow.
This short window has been criticized for offering little protection to vehicle owners, and required Costa to use his significant influence to retrieve it.
What to do if your car is towed
Wrongfully or not, retrieving a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are a few steps to take to get it back.
Steps to take when your car is towed:
- Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.
If you feel your vehicle was wrongfully towed, contesting the action can be done with the following steps:
- Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
- Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
- Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak Law Firm
