Walk It Through: The Car That Was Towed

A car parked too close to a hydrant, a tow, a call within a day, and what the tow lot may keep.

In a hurry, a driver parks a few steps from a fire hydrant downtown.

Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.

One car towed from a street. A tow from a private lot, an abandoned vehicle sale, a damaged car at the lot and a disputed fee are not worked through here.

A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.

Words this turns on

Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.

Class 2 misdemeanorThe lesser misdemeanor class, with a maximum of thirty days in a county jail or a $500 fine, or both.
Petty offenseA lesser kind of offense, such as not having the license on the driver. An officer may detain a person only as long as it takes to issue the complaint and summons, and that detention is not an arrest.
Possessory lienThe right to hold a towed vehicle and its contents for the reasonable cost of towing and storage, capped at $500 on the contents.
Removal agencyA business that tows vehicles. One that tows an unattended vehicle from a public street on its own reports the removal to the owner, or to the police, within twenty-four hours.