It’s 6 a.m. You’ve circled the block several times, almost certainly during a torrential downpour or unexpected snowstorm and finally you’ve come to the conclusion that your vehicle is gone. This happens to hardcore City dwellers and unsuspecting visitors alike. Unlike an intriguing “how did this happen” Lost episode, rarely is this situation amusing. Our purpose this week is to cut through the labyrinthine process of vehicle location and redemption in NYC.
The first thing you need to determine if your vehicle was towed, removed for parade, dignitary or other details or stolen.
Towed: Go online to: NYC Serv – New York City On-Line Payment Services. Check for both outstanding parking and red light tickets. The information is in real time and will reveal if your vehicle has been towed and to which impound lot.
If your vehicle has been towed, it is important for you to know whether it was a Violation Tow or Judgment Tow:
Violation Tow: (by the NYPD): If your vehicle was booted or towed because it was illegally parked and you owe no unpaid parking tickets in judgment, simply redeem your vehicle directly from the NYPD impound lots (locations in all boroughs, except Staten Island). If however your vehicle was illegally parked and you owe more than $101 in outstanding tickets that have gone into judgment, your tickets must be paid to the Department of Finance Paying a Parking Ticket before your vehicle can be redeemed. When you have resolved your outstanding parking debt, obtain a Vehicle Release Form. Take this form to redeem your vehicle to an NYPD impound lot.
Judgment Tow: (by Sheriff or City Marshal): The vehicle’s registered owner has outstanding parking tickets of $350 or more on any vehicle registered to his/her name. To redeem a vehicle towed by the Sheriff, pay the outstanding debt online at the NYC Finance Center NYC Serv – New York City On-Line Payment Services. If the vehicle was towed by a Marshal, go to the Marshal’s office and pay the tickets. City Marshals
Moved or Stolen: If you do not locate your vehicle through this system, it has either been moved by the NYPD (for a parade, motorcade, safety… detail) or stolen. Contact the NYPD: 911 if you believe it stolen, otherwise call or go to the precinct of jurisdiction: NYPD Precincts.
There are also situations wherein a vehicle is removed and secured by the NYPD for evidentiary purposes in criminal investigations. This requires a more specialized search. Consult with an experienced investigator – she should know the more direct routes of cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and not only locate the vehicle, but the reason for seizure.
Park legally. Be safe.
Filed under: impound, missing, nypd, parking, stolen, ticket, tow truck, vehicle Tagged: | car, how do you recover your towed vehicle, marshal, nyc, nypd, stolen, towed
