can police charge towing fees?

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protagonist
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can police charge towing fees?

Post by protagonist »

I had my car towed in an accident since it was not drivable. The police told me they had to call the towing company and it had to be an in-town company.

The tow truck operator charged me $125 for a one mile tow. When I asked about that, he said that they charge $90 flat fee (tow company) plus $10/mile and the police charge an additional $25.

My question....is it customary for the police to charge when they call a local tow company? And is that legal?

I live in MA.

Thanks.
Last edited by protagonist on Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rodc
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Rodc »

I would suggest that the fact they did it means it was legal. They generally know what they are doing.

Tow companies need to be paid. It does not make sense that this should be part of the local town budget (or state if this was on a state highway).

Hopefully you have towing on your insurance.

Best of luck.
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Rupert
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Rupert »

It's a tax. You're paying for the policeman's time. If court fees (even when you never go to court, as in when you decide to pay a ticket rather than challenge it) and the like are legal, I don't see why this wouldn't also be legal.
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protagonist
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by protagonist »

Rodc wrote:I would suggest that the fact they did it means it was legal. They generally know what they are doing.

Tow companies need to be paid. It does not make sense that this should be part of the local town budget (or state if this was on a state highway).

Hopefully you have towing on your insurance.

Best of luck.
Thanks, Rod.
I have no problem with the tow company charging me their fee.

My question was regarding the police collecting additional money, above and beyond what the tow company charges. They take it out of what I pay the tow company. The officer did nothing but place a phone call, and insisted that I use an "in-town" tow company on their list, which precluded my being able to use a roadside assistance benefit attached to my credit card.

It's only $25 I know, not such a big deal, but it just seems strange. I would think our taxes would pay for police services. Is this out of the ordinary?
RudyS
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by RudyS »

In my city in Michigan, the police will call a tow truck if you want them to, but you can use AAA or whomever you prefer No charge from the police. The OP's situation seems to be a local regulation. I know that on some toll roads (NY Thruway, etc) you are required to use only an authorized company.
Rupert
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Rupert »

Cities usually have contracts with several local companies to tow cars from accident scenes. I think you have the legal right (in most places, at least, not sure, of course, about the place where you had your wreck) to call your own tow company, but if your tow truck doesn't arrive quickly enough, the police can call one of their guys to clear the accident scene. The police aren't just going to drive off and leave your wrecked car on or near the roadway, where it might cause another accident. There's liability for the city in doing that.
flyingbison
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by flyingbison »

protagonist wrote:
It's only $25 I know, not such a big deal, but it just seems strange. I would think our taxes would pay for police services. Is this out of the ordinary?
Many public services are funded through a combination of taxes and user fees, so it doesn't seem unusual to me.
Rupert
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Rupert »

flyingbison wrote:
protagonist wrote:
It's only $25 I know, not such a big deal, but it just seems strange. I would think our taxes would pay for police services. Is this out of the ordinary?
Many public services are funded through a combination of taxes and user fees, so it doesn't seem unusual to me.
+1. The city could charge every citizen in the city for the cost of cleaning up accident scenes. Or it could just charge the people who are actually involved in accidents, i.e., they can charge a user fee. You paid a user fee.
tjaden
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by tjaden »

Wow... now I don't feel so bad about the 'shake-down' that I got when the police had a local operator tow my car. The guy came out and pulled me out of a ditch for $75. I wasn't towed anywhere but while asking about the fee, I was told... "what do you think it's worth to have your day not ruined?" I paid the $75 (surprisingly, in cash :? ) Basically, I walked away feeling that the same scenario happened several times a day in that township and it was a common occurrence. Your story actually sounds a little more legit since the police are receiving their fee.
likegarden
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by likegarden »

Only $125 per mile! My wife's car got rear-ended on a busy road6 years ago. A close (100 yards distance) towing place got called. Since the dealer repair shop was closed at that time, the tower kept our car over night. Next morning the car got towed to the repair shop 1 mile away. The tower billed over $600, and my insurance company paid it.
drawpoker
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by drawpoker »

What I would question is why the police are charging a separate fee when the car was not being towed to their own police impound lot. (?) Or, the private contractor to whom has the contract for storing vehicles impounded by the police, same thing.
Such is what happens when a stolen car is abandoned, owner cannot be contacted, and car must be towed away. Or when you park in a no-parking tow-away zone and the prop owner notifies the police to have your car towed.
Presumably, since the OP was able to direct the tow truck driver where to take the car involved in the accident to (repair shop, garage, his home, whatever) and the local impound lot was not involved, yes, I would question the additional charge.
barnaclebob
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by barnaclebob »

Are you sure it wasn't just a fee charged by the tow truck driver for coming to a police scene?
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bertie wooster
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by bertie wooster »

The police can generally do whatever they want. You can try to contest this, but I don't think it's worth your time.
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by junior »

protagonist wrote:r the police to charge when they call a local tow company? And is that legal?

I live in MA.

Thanks.
It seems pretty unlikely the police would be doing it unless someone reviewed the law and determined it was okay.

This is a normal police action where they would have a procedure, it's something they must have done hundreds or thousands of times before. It's also a situation where there is a paper trail so it seems unlikely the cops are just making it up.
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dm200
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by dm200 »

protagonist wrote:I had my car towed in an accident since it was not drivable. The police told me they had to call the towing company and it had to be an in-town company.
The tow truck operator charged me $125 for a one mile tow. When I asked about that, he said that they charge $90 flat fee (tow company) plus $10/mile and the police charge an additional $25.
My question....is it customary for the police to charge when they call a local tow company? And is that legal?
I live in MA.
Thanks.
Couldn't you arrange for your own towing? If not, why not? [Perhaps you may have has AAA]
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FelixTheCat
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by FelixTheCat »

Do you have towing on your insurance? Submit a claim.
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SmileyFace
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by SmileyFace »

protagonist wrote:The officer did nothing but place a phone call, and insisted that I use an "in-town" tow company on their list, which precluded my being able to use a roadside assistance benefit attached to my credit card.
Actually the police did more than make a phone call. They likely established Service-Agreements with response-time terms, etc. with a host of local companies, have to vet the companies and maintain the list, have to distribute the list out to all law enforcement, etc. As others have stated - they can either charge all taxpayers for managing this process - or try to recover some of the costs in fees from the folks that have the accidents.

If you are found not-at-fault you should be able to recover this as part of the towing fee from the at-fault driver's insurance.
Rodc
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Rodc »

My question was regarding the police collecting additional money, above and beyond what the tow company charges.
Interesting. Thanks for the clarification. It is long ago (thankfully) and in another state when I last had to be towed from an accident and I was not charged. I personally do not think it is unreasonable for the police to make the call without charging you. There really is no meaningful additional effort or time involved.
We live a world with knowledge of the future markets has less than one significant figure. And people will still and always demand answers to three significant digits.
Topic Author
protagonist
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by protagonist »

Thanks for all the input.

From the above, I guess it is not as odd as it seems to me.
Herbert
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Herbert »

I used to be a State Trooper and the way it worked in my locality was that if I was called to an accident or broken down vehicle, we had a list of "approved" tow trucks which were rotated by dispatch that we could call for, if the owner of the vehicle(s) did not have a specific tow truck company they wanted to use. That being said, if the accident or vehicle was a traffic hazard and needed to be removed quickly and their specific tow truck service was going to take a long time to make it out to the scene, then we would utilize dispatch to contact the next available tow truck from the "approved" tow list. I personally did not receive any "kick backs" from these companies. :moneybag

That said, I am sure it varies by location!! :happy
FRANK2009
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by FRANK2009 »

New York City's accident tow program worked similar as described above. The tow company would pay to be on list of companies authorized to tow. The driver needing the tow had no choice in who to call. I always felt uncomfortable telling drivers that they had no choice. I'm sure quite a few thought I was taking a "kick back". However the system came about after some horrific accidents caused by tow trucks racing to accident scenes. The driver needing the tow paid for the tow.
drawpoker
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by drawpoker »

Ah, Herbert and Frank2009 are taking us back down memory lane. The good ole rotation wrecker list that was supposed to be protocol for all agencies.
A lot of the abuse that was pretty regular (at least in the Carolinas) back then has pretty much disappeared since most every community has gone to central dispatch (911).
It is common to hear over the radio now request for "next rotation wrecker".
A far cry from the old days when the trooper, deputy, or P.D. officer would just use the private channel and say "Call Bubba". Or "Billy Bob".
And remember when it was imperative the unit at the scene had to deliver the bad news to the vehicle owner if it was late at night - "Advise subject wrecker operator must have cash only for payment prior to hook up"
Of course, back in the day, there was no way for commercial wrecker services to verify if a credit card was good or not at 11 or 12 O' clock at night.
Vermonster
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Vermonster »

Note to OP.
If the police required that you use the duty wrecker and did not allow you to call your roadside assistance, you can probably be reimbursed by your roadside company by just submitting a receipt to them that has been marked by the tow operator something like: "Traffic Hazard, Police Required Tow". Unfortunately I've had this experience several times and AAA paid promptly each time.
tim1999
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by tim1999 »

bertie wooster wrote:The police can generally do whatever they want. You can try to contest this, but I don't think it's worth your time.
This.
Where I used to live, the town had a contract with a local towing company. They would tow any disabled or impounded car that the police were involved with. The cops were all buddies with the towing company owner and would hang out at his shop all the time to drink coffee. Leaving their cruisers idling outside for half an hour.
drawpoker
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by drawpoker »

Howdy, neighbor !
Cherokee8215 and I lived in the same town !
:P :P :P :P
NerdJock
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by NerdJock »

I had that happen to me. high tow prices. I asked the police about it. They negotiated it down.
andypanda
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by andypanda »

In Richmond VA they give you phone number to call, but when you call they don't know which lot it was towed to. You can call the lots and hope for the best or bum a ride to try and find it.

It's one of the city's better services, too. :)
Jeepergeo
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Jeepergeo »

Rodc wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:53 am I would suggest that the fact they did it means it was legal. They generally know what they are doing.

Tow companies need to be paid. It does not make sense that this should be part of the local town budget (or state if this was on a state highway).

Hopefully you have towing on your insurance.

Best of luck.
^^^That made me laugh. :shock:
NerdJock
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by NerdJock »

Actually, I had an accident once and the police got a tow service.
The tow service asked for an astronomical amount.
I talked to the police and they talked to the tow service and the tow service reduced their fee.
I don't remember the police charging for it.
I'm thinking it was in Massachusetts.
I can't remember more of the particulars.
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by jebmke »

Jeepergeo wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:35 am
Rodc wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:53 am I would suggest that the fact they did it means it was legal. They generally know what they are doing.

Tow companies need to be paid. It does not make sense that this should be part of the local town budget (or state if this was on a state highway).

Hopefully you have towing on your insurance.

Best of luck.
^^^That made me laugh. :shock:
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Californiastate
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Californiastate »

Is this in a city that had the police defunded? Is this a new fee?
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SmileyFace
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by SmileyFace »

Californiastate wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:20 am Is this in a city that had the police defunded? Is this a new fee?
Look at the date of the post - 2016.
sureshoe
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by sureshoe »

Jeepergeo wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:35 am
Rodc wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:53 am I would suggest that the fact they did it means it was legal. They generally know what they are doing.

Tow companies need to be paid. It does not make sense that this should be part of the local town budget (or state if this was on a state highway).

Hopefully you have towing on your insurance.

Best of luck.
^^^That made me laugh. :shock:
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sureshoe
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by sureshoe »

SmileyFace wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:30 am
Californiastate wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:20 am Is this in a city that had the police defunded? Is this a new fee?
Look at the date of the post - 2016.
What's the deal with people resurrecting years old threads? Second time I've been burnt in two days :)
Californiastate
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by Californiastate »

SmileyFace wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:30 am
Californiastate wrote: Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:20 am Is this in a city that had the police defunded? Is this a new fee?
Look at the date of the post - 2016.
:oops:
retire2022
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by retire2022 »

Op

I was in an accident in another state several years ago, I had crashed my borrowed relative vehicle.

The state trooper said the same as above, and I let them take the wreck.

According to my CPA at the time, I was able to write off used book value of the wreck off my taxes as a loss for that year.

Of course I had to reimburse my relative for what happened.

I never went to retrieve the wreck and abandoned the vehicle and was able to turn in the registration to NYSDMV as abandoned.

The towing company was able to repurpose and ended up scrapping wreck for parts.
crefwatch
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by crefwatch »

Well, I prefer to call it a "user fee", not a "tax". The fact that you're an involuntary user is not relevant to this comment.

Every time I go to a Township Committee meeting, I hear about citizens who WANT government services, but who believe that they should not have to pay for government services. And elected officials are very reluctant to be seen increasing taxes, even when the prices of things they have to buy for the town/county/city/state increase in price. Voters are very tax-averse, even when it is not in their long-term best interest. (Example: Half the river bridges in my area are only half-open, because of load restrictions due to omitted maintenance. People whine about traffic delays, but are unwilling to pay to fix the bridges built during the postwar boom, and before.)

Lately, towns and cities have begun charging court fees that used to be part of their regular operating budget. Of course, these fall hardest on the poor. But once you start incentivizing user fees, all sorts of cruel results can happen.

It costs money for a cop (or a public works employee ... ) to stop and assist you. It used to be free. But we (well, a majority of us) "voted" to charge for government services rather than collect taxes to pay for them. I personally would prefer that the Township Committee determine what services they want their town to offer, and then raise the funds to pay for them. But that makes me ... ... a Democrat. And everyone on the Committee is a Republican.
andypanda
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by andypanda »

Did the officer have to sweep up the broken glass, metal scraps, loose nuts and bolts and spilled fluids? Then $25 was cheap. He could have given you a ticket for littering.

"Section 33.1-346 of the Code of Virginia makes littering or dumping trash a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine up to $2,500."
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TexasPE
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Re: can police charge towing fees?

Post by TexasPE »

Vermonster wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:25 am Note to OP.
If the police required that you use the duty wrecker and did not allow you to call your roadside assistance, you can probably be reimbursed by your roadside company by just submitting a receipt to them that has been marked by the tow operator something like: "Traffic Hazard, Police Required Tow". Unfortunately I've had this experience several times and AAA paid promptly each time.
+1 - wife had a medical issue while driving, police called wrecker. AAA later covered the fee.
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