Personal Injury Q and A

Question: The real question is, regarding towing from private property due to a
parking violation, is how is it that the towing companies are allowed to
charge $280.00 for an otherwise $65.00 tow?

Answer: California Vehicle Code Section 22658, Removal From Private Property, states
in part:

(i) (1) (A) A charge for towing or storage, or both, of a vehicle under this
section is excessive if the charge exceeds the greater of the following:

(i) That which would have been charged for that towing or storage, or both,
made at the request of a law enforcement agency under an agreement between a
towing company and the law enforcement agency that exercises primary
jurisdiction in the city in which is located the private property from which
the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed, or if the private property
is not located within a city, then the law enforcement agency that exercises
primary jurisdiction in the county in which the private property is located.

(ii) That which would have been charged for that towing or storage, or both,
under the rate approved for that towing operator by the California Highway
Patrol for the jurisdiction in which the private property is located and
from which the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed.

(B) A towing operator shall make available for inspection and copying his or
her rate approved by the California Highway Patrol, if any, with in 24 hours
of a request without a warrant to law enforcement, the Attorney General,
district attorney, or city attorney.

(2) If a vehicle is released within 24 hours from the time the vehicle is
brought into the storage facility, regardless of the calendar date, the
storage charge shall be for only one day. Not more than one day's storage
charge may be required for a vehicle released the same day that it is
stored.