This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and buy, we might get a small commission at no cost to you.
If you’ve ever been faced with the problem of a car parked in your driveway, blocking you from leaving home, you know how incredibly frustrating it can be. You may be wondering if you can call a tow truck if someone is blocking your driveway.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do legally to resolve this situation. In this blog post, we will discuss the options available to you and what you need to do in order to have the car towed.
Key Takeaways
- You can legally have a car towed that is blocking your driveway if a car is parked on residential property or private property with signs posted.
- If the car is parked on private property with no signs posted towing can be done after 24 hours.
- You can call a tow company or the non-emergency police number to have a car towed.
When You Can Tow A Car From Your Driveway
Towing a car can be tricky, especially if you are not familiar with local laws. It is always best to check in advance and make sure that your actions comply fully with local guidelines before taking any measures whatsoever!
That being said, if a neighbor’s car is parked on your property blocking your driveway so that you cannot get out it is legal to have the car towed right away. This applies to any cars that are blocking your driveway, not just neighbor’s car.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should go around towing cars – after all, sometimes people park in driveways accidentally and they may not even realize it. But if you’ve tried unsuccessfully to contact the owner of the vehicle and you’re stuck because of it, towing is an option.
Another situation is if you’re on private property (nonresidential) and there are signs visibly posted that state unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. In this case, you can have the car towed as well since they are violating posted rules.
But if a car is parked on a private, non-residential property that has no signs, the towing can only be done after 24 hours. In this case, be sure to take picture evidence with a timestamp of the car parked on your property. This way there is no question of when the car was parked.
How to Get a Car Towed From Your Driveway
If you’ve determined that towing the car is your best option, there are two ways you can go about doing it safely and effectively.
1. Call a tow company
Give them the specific address and license plate number of the car. This is usually the quickest way to get the car towed. However, the towing company could give your info to the car’s owner, and in the event that there was damage to the car the owner could come after you for reimbursement.
2. Call the police
The second option, which is a bit more work but protects you from any potential liability, is to call the police non-emergency number. The police will come out and take a report. Once they have the information, they will order the car towed and it will be towed at the owner’s expense.
There will also be a paper trail in case the owner tries to come after you. The downside to this option is that it may take longer for the car to be towed since the police have other priorities besides getting your car removed from your driveway.
This is still probably the best option because you are less likely to be held liable if any damage was done to the car during towing since it was done at the police’s request.
3. Never try to tow the car yourself
When you see a car blocking your driveway your first instinct may be to try to tow the car yourself but resist the urge.
Towing a car is not as simple as it looks, and if you’re not careful, you could end up doing more damage than good. Not to mention, it’s illegal to tow a car without the owner’s permission in most states.
Can You Park In Front Of Your Own Driveway?
Even though you live in your house and pay taxes on your property, you technically do not have the right to park in front of your driveway.
According to city ordinances, the sidewalk and curb in front of your house are still city property. This means that parking enforcement has the right to ticket any car that is parked in front of a driveway, regardless of whether or not it is blocking the owner’s access.
This law is difficult to enforce, however, since it is often impossible for parking enforcement to determine who is actually parked in front of the driveway and who is just visiting.
In many cases, tickets are only issued if someone calls to report the illegal parking. As a result, whether or not you get a ticket for parking in front of your driveway largely depends on your luck.
Conclusion
It is always best to check with your local towing company or the police department to find out what the specific laws are in your area.
In general, if a car is parked on your residential property and blocking your driveway so that you cannot get out, it is legal to have the car towed right away.
If you’re on private, non-residential property, with signs posted the vehicle can be towed but without signs, you must wait 24 hours.
The safest way to get a car towed from blocking your driveway is to call the police non-emergency number but the fastest way is to call a tow company.
