Tow Company Vehicle Recovery

Tow yards fill up fast, and they rarely empty out on their own. A vehicle gets towed — from a private lot, an accident scene, a police request, or a repossession — and then nobody comes to claim it. Weeks turn into months. The towing and storage fees keep accumulating, but so does the space problem, because a tow company can only hold so many vehicles before it runs out of room for the next call.

ABARD Acquisitions helps tow companies work through unclaimed vehicles methodically: recovering the towing and storage costs owed, and resolving the vehicle's ownership status so it can be legally released, sold, or removed from the yard.

Unlike a repair shop, where a customer usually chooses to bring their vehicle in, tow companies frequently end up with vehicles through circumstances the vehicle owner never initiated — an accident, a parking violation, a police impound order, or a repossession. That means the owner may not even know their vehicle is at your yard, may be avoiding the fees intentionally, or may have simply decided the vehicle isn't worth reclaiming.

Common situations tow companies deal with include:

Each of these scenarios comes with its own notice requirements and procedural nuances, which is part of why tow companies often need more specialized guidance than a general "abandoned vehicle" checklist can provide.

Every vehicle sitting unclaimed in a tow yard represents a double cost: the towing and storage fees that are piling up unpaid, and the physical space that vehicle occupies — space that could otherwise be used for new tows that actually get resolved and paid. For companies with contracts tied to municipalities, police departments, or property management companies, a yard that's constantly near capacity can also affect the company's ability to take on new work.

There's also a compliance dimension. Tow companies are generally subject to specific requirements about how long a vehicle must be held, what notices must be sent, and to whom, before further action can be taken. Getting these steps wrong can expose a company to disputes or liability, even when the company's intentions were entirely reasonable.

We help tow companies move unclaimed vehicles through a proper resolution process rather than letting them sit indefinitely. Our general approach includes:

Because tow companies often work under contracts with municipalities or law enforcement, we also pay attention to how those relationships affect the process — for example, understanding who has authority to release or dispose of a vehicle in a police-ordered impound.

Keep meticulous records. Document when a vehicle arrived, why it was towed, all fees accrued, and every attempt made to contact the owner or lienholder.

Understand your specific holding and notice requirements. These can differ depending on whether the tow was requested privately, by police, or through a repossession order.

Don't treat all unclaimed vehicles the same way. A privately requested tow, a police impound, and a lender repossession each may follow a different legal path toward resolution.

Act within the appropriate timeframe. Waiting too long — or acting too soon, before required notice periods have passed — can both create problems.

Assuming an unclaimed vehicle can simply be sold once storage fees exceed its value. A specific legal process is generally required before a tow company can sell or dispose of a vehicle, regardless of how the fees compare to the vehicle's worth.

Overlooking lienholder notification. If a vehicle was financed, the lender typically has a legal right to be notified and may have priority over the tow company's claim in certain circumstances.

Losing track of documentation. With high tow volume, it's easy for records on a specific unclaimed vehicle to become incomplete, which can complicate the resolution process later.

Not distinguishing between tow types. Police-ordered impounds often carry different requirements than private property tows, and treating them identically can create compliance issues.

If your yard has vehicles that have been sitting unclaimed for weeks or months, the sooner you start the proper resolution process, the sooner you recover both the space and the costs owed. A consultation is the most direct way to understand what applies to your specific yard and situation.