You parked your car on the meter for a few minutes to get your favorite sandwich from a local deli. You are coming back and realizing that your vehicle is gone! The first thing that comes to your mind is, was it stolen? Am I dreaming? But after a few moments, you realize that you parked at "NO PARKING - TOW ZONE," and your car got towed by the city.
At that point, it will cost more than your sandwich to find and release your car, but remember, if you find and release it the same day, it will cost you less, so hurry up!. Plan to pay at least $200 for the parking violation ticket and the impound company fee.
There are a few steps you need to take in order to find your car quickly.
There are always phone numbers on the street signs that will connect you to the city impounded vehicles department.
Visit http://www.seattleimpound.com/ type in your license plate or VIN, and you will be able to gather some info about your vehicle location. If you cant find your VIN, try to look up your email for some of your insurance or DMV documents. The number should be there.
Here is a list of some impound garages in the area that you can contact directly:
Gary's West Side Towing Inc
(206) 762-8881
ABC Towing
206-457-2530
Eric's Garage
(206) 522-5872
Skyway Towing
425-226-8050
To get your car back, you will need to provide a valid driver's license, up-to-date proof of insurance, and up-to-date valid vehicle registration.
For impound and storage rates for official Seattle impound garages, click here.
If your car were towed from a private parking lot, there would often be a sign at the parking lot entrance that has a local towing company's address and phone number contracted with the specific private parking.
Possible reasons why your car may get towed:
Expired registration
Unpaid tickets
Parked in a tow zone
Parked in a private lot with a permit
Blocking fire hydrant
Illegally blocking traffic