Find My Towed Car

If your car is gone from the place where it was parked last, you have to run through a quick mental checklist. It’s always best to grab a pen and paper and jot down a list of key questions which will help you track down your vehicle fast.

Here is what you need to consider:

1. Where are the keys? If you have them, is there more than one set ? Does anyone else have a key to the vehicle? You must be sure the car has not been borrowed or moved without authorization. If you gave keys to another party, that party has permission to move the vehicle at will. Start by contacting that person and making absolutely certain that they do not have the vehicle in their possession or have moved it to another location. If the keys were left in the vehicle it may be stolen, but you need to be certain as to avoid filing a false stolen vehicle report. There are fines and legal ramifications for false filings so be 100% sure before you call the police.
2. Is the vehicle leased or financed? If so, are you behind on payments? If so, contact the lease or finance company as the vehicle may have been repossessed legally. There will always be a path to redemption, but you will have to make all the payments plus a redemption fee to get the vehicle back.
3. Where exactly was the vehicle parked last? Go back to where the vehicle was left last and survey the area very carefully. Look for any tow away signs or posted notices that would indicate where the vehicle might be towed to…yellow curbs and fire hydrants are a bad sign, there will be no warning because you are impeding fire department or emergency service personnel and cars are removed daily for public safety. Call the municipality where the car was left (typically the county impound yard) and have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) handy to provide for the clerk to check to see if your car has been impounded. The VIN can be found on the Title, Vehicle Registration, Insurance Card and of course the purchase paperwork from when you bought the car. If you left all that paperwork in the car, call your insurance provider and they can send it over to you right away.
4. NEVER CALL 911 your missing vehicle may be your emergency, but it is non-life threatening. There is nothing that aggravates law enforcement officers more than getting a 911 call for something that is not a true emergency. It’s not about convenience, it’s about utilization of resources. The 911 call you make will be answered and while that agent is busy trying to deal with your misplaced vehicle, they could miss an opportunity to save a life. So please be courteous and obtain a non-emergency phone number for local law enforcement and calmly explain that your car is missing and that you have done your due diligence to ensure the car was not borrowed or repossessed and could very well be stolen. This approach will be met with cooperation, appreciation and willingness to assist you.