A couple of days ago my sister called me and ask, “So how do I know if my car has been towed?”. Rather confused, she provided me more details that she had gone to a work meeting and left her vehicle parked in a parkade. When she returned she could not find her vehicle anywhere and thought she had made a mistake parking in a designated no parking area. Turns out, she had properly parked her vehicle, it had been stolen.
Her circumstance was unique, and I would say 99 percent of the time if you cannot find your vehicle it has been towed for some sort of offence. It might not even be that you parked in an area that was designated for no parking. For example, street parking can often be designated as a no parking area on special dates or for special events but otherwise be legitimate parking. So what should you do if you come out and your vehicle isn’t there where you left it?
Well first, take a breath and make sure you are where you think you last parked your vehicle. If you are definitely sure you are in the spot, call the local police service on their non-emergency line (note: not 911), and speak with a dispatcher. They will ask for your licence plate, make and model and can check if they, the parking service, or by-law towed your vehicle. If the parking lot was a private lot, check the lot for a phone number to speak with management and confirm with them if the vehicle has been towed. If your vehicle has been towed, you’ll want to get it out as soon as possible as tow companies do charge daily storage fees on top of any tow fees.
