Car in the impound lot: what happens if you don’t pick it up

Sooner or later, most motorists are faced with the problem of forced confiscation of their vehicle. Such measures are provided as punishment for various types of offenses.

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At the same time, vehicle evacuation in our country, as well as abroad, has been practiced for decades.

For car owners, such measures are unprofitable from a financial point of view, because in addition to paying penalties for a legal violation, they need to pay the cost of transportation services by a tow truck, as well as downtime at the impound site.

In order not to incur a huge sum, you should first know the rules for returning a car, the payment algorithm, whether in all cases it is necessary to pay for the towing of a vehicle, what the prices are in different regions of the country.

All of the above aspects are covered in this article so that experienced and new motorists can effectively protect their rights and interests.

In which cases is it necessary to pay, in which cases is it not?

The issue of mandatory payment for towing services and impound parking depends on the fact of the offense.

If the motorist’s guilt is obvious and proven, then he will have to spend money on a fine and towing the vehicle. In cases with opposite circumstances, payment from the motorist is not required.

Let us consider in detail the cases when payment is mandatory:

• parking violations;
• lack of a driver's license to drive a vehicle;
• faulty technical condition of the car, which directly affects its functioning;
• expired technical inspection;
• driving without compulsory motor liability insurance or with a fake/expired insurance policy;
• illegal transportation of dangerous cargo without special marking with identification marks, lack of transportation permits;
• drunk driving;
• other violations of traffic rules and the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

The above aspects are supported by the legislative framework, namely Article 27.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of our country.

In addition, its article 12.9 regulates penalties for such offenses. For example, if you leave your car at a distance of up to 5 meters from a pedestrian crossing or block traffic on the sidewalk, you will be subject to a fine of 1,000 rubles.

Please note that this amount can be paid after returning the vehicle from the impound area.

Not all situations are clear-cut, and the driver’s fault is not always obvious. Therefore, there are a number of cases when a citizen is not required to pay a fine and tow truck services.

If doubts arise about the legality of the verdict of the authorized inspectors, then it should be immediately appealed using the services of a competent motor vehicle lawyer.

For example, a driver is often forced to make an immediate stop without taking into account their location: let’s say a motorist stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing, and the reason for this was a breakdown of a part.

In this case, to justify yourself, you will have to prove that the car did not break down due to previous breakdowns, otherwise a fine cannot be avoided.

To do this, a certificate of technical inspection is provided and an independent examination is carried out to determine the limitation period and the causes of the breakdown.

Therefore, knowledge of the legislative framework for motorists is a prerequisite, because they act in the interests of the drivers themselves when they help protect their rights and interests.

What to do if you don’t have money for special parking

If you previously decided not to pick up your car from the lot, but now you find out that it will be expensive, there is a good way out of the situation. It consists in the fact that according to the law in 2021, special parking services can be paid for with some deferment. This means you don't have to pay for storage services right away. After receiving the car, the amount of debt will not increase.

But some amount of money will still be required. To pick up a car from a special parking lot without paying for it, you need to proceed in the following order:

1. First, pay the fine for towing your car. It is not associated with refusal of examination, or intoxication, or removal from driving a car.
2. Then visit the traffic police department that introduced the resolution. Show a receipt indicating that the fine has been paid.
3. Get a copy of the decision and documents on the detention, as well as permission to pick up the car from the special parking lot.
4. Go to the impound lot with a driver’s license, compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance, STS insurance and pick up the long-awaited car.

After that, you can pay for parking for a month. This option turns out to be much more profitable than leaving the car in a special parking lot. This method is described in the Code of Administrative Offenses in Article 27.13, Part 10. It states that detained vehicles are returned immediately after the reason for the detention is eliminated, as well as in the presence of documents for the right to drive a car.

Each region sets its own payment terms for special parking , and each city has its own conditions. However, this does not mean that regional authorities are given a free choice. There are standards developed at the federal level. They are presented in the form of guidelines from the Federal Antimonopoly Service on terms and tariffs.

Paragraph No. 7 of the guidelines states that the payment period for storage services of detained cars and other vehicles is established by the constituent entities of Russia independently. But the maximum deferment of payment should not decrease below the monthly limit from the moment the car is delivered to the owner.

Therefore, you have at least 30 days to pay the debt after receiving the car . If you fail to pay for the impound lot, its owner may sue you. However, in this case the debt will not increase, since you took the car.

Rules for payment of impound parking

There are no strict regulations regarding the payment algorithm for tow truck services and the penalty area. But there are unspoken rules that drivers must follow for their own benefit, so as not to overpay money on this.

It is known that the cost of transportation and downtime at such a site becomes a larger sum for citizens if they do not respond promptly enough, putting off a procedure that is unpleasant for many.

A large number of car owners make the same mistake - they immediately contact law enforcement agencies, proving that they are right, but at the same time wasting precious time for themselves.

Therefore, initially inform a car lawyer about the incident and order his rights protection services. And at this time, call tow truck services and impound areas, take a traffic police report on the offense in order to return your own vehicle.

Then you will pay the cost of transporting your car to such a parking lot, and at the same time, you will not have to pay for downtime, because the first day of the vehicle being in the impound lot is free. Also remember that only a full day of downtime is paid.

If the driver’s guilt is confirmed, then after returning the vehicle he can also pay fines, and if he is acquitted, then he has the right to appeal such a decision and demand the return of his money, but in court.

Illegal evacuation of a car to an impound lot is covered in the article: illegal evacuation of a car to an impound lot. In what cases the car is not returned from the impound lot, read here.

What happens if you leave the car for good?

The answer to this question is simple - you will have a large debt for parking. As a result, it will become much more than the cost of the car. Inexpensive Russian-made cars are usually not taken away, especially in Moscow. The cost of storage in a special parking lot in the capital of Russia is the most expensive.

If you do not want to pick up the car from the special parking lot, or decide to give it as a gift, the parking lot employees will not accept it. Storage will be expensive, the amount will exceed the cost of the car. Therefore, you cannot pay for storage in the parking lot against the car.

For example, the average cost of storage in special parking lots in the Russian Federation is 800-1200 rubles per day . If you do not pick up the car, then in a year you will accumulate a debt of over 360 thousand rubles. Another two years will pass, and the debt will increase to a million! Not every car has this price.

If the employees of the special parking lot file a claim in court, they will easily receive this money from the car owner. In this case, the car owner will be obliged to find funds and pay for parking.

At the same time, it is important to know that storing a car in a special parking lot is not an administrative proceeding, but becomes a civil matter. Therefore, the statute of limitations begins to apply. A person whose rights have been violated may apply to the court to obtain compensation for their rights. This can be done within three years, starting from the moment when the rights were violated.

In other words, the owners of the impound lot can file a claim only after 3 years . But the debt will accumulate all this time. Even after this, the debt will also increase. The court makes a decision and transfers it to the bailiffs. They will renew the writ of execution from time to time, each time with increased amounts of money. Of course, part of the debt will be paid off by the cost of the car, but the rest will have to be paid.

However, there are ways to pick up your car from a special parking lot without immediately paying for storage services. They will be discussed below.

Cost of services

If you analyze the pricing policies of different towing services and penalty areas, you will notice a tendency that there is no single tariff for all companies. First you need to know why this is so.

The cost of transportation and storage services directly depends on the type of vehicle. The price directly depends on the region: in megacities with developed infrastructure and heavy traffic, the cost will be higher than in ordinary administrative centers.

Municipal laws consider evacuation rules and the cost of this procedure, so local authorities independently deal with this issue, but are guided by federal legislation.

The penalty areas themselves can also adopt their own tariffs, but they must be justified from a financial point of view.

For one full day of idle time for vehicles of various types in the regions of our country, a motorist will have to pay the following amounts in rubles:

The table shows that tariffs for different types of road transport have their own upper and lower thresholds, and the average cost for all regions differs only in the amount of several hundred rubles.

Payment for towing a car to an impound lot in 2021 in different cities and even companies is carried out according to their own tariffs (in rubles):

If you pick up the car with permission from law enforcement agencies, you will only have to pay the amount from the second table. Because downtime is charged only for a full day.

Reason for sending a car to the impound lot

Every driver and vehicle owner needs to know what the reasons are and in what cases the car is taken to the impound lot in 2021.

This is especially true for those motorists who do not care where they park - on the sidewalk, playground, lawn, roadway or in other prohibited places.

However, illegal parking or parking is not the only reason for your car to be “drifted” on a tow truck to a specialized paid parking lot.

Among these reasons, the most common are the following situations, which are noted at the legislative level:

1. Wrong parking, parking. Most often, these are the following places where the requirements of legal provisions on parking and parking are most often violated:
   at a pedestrian crossing or with access to it, which prevents pedestrians from passing through their territory;
2. in through tunnels where traffic flows;
3. on or across tram tracks;
4. at stops or close to the entrance pocket of passenger stops of citywide importance;
5. very close to a railway crossing (less than 10 m from the barrier);
6. in places of public leisure for citizens there are playgrounds, in courtyards very close to the front porch;
7. parking in a specialized drive-in pocket designed for legal temporary parking of cars, but with entry onto the roadway (placing the car at an angle, or in another way, when part of the car is on the road).
8. The driver does not have the documents with him that give him the legal right to drive the car. These may be the following papers, in the absence of which the car may end up on special. parking as punishment for its owner:
   when the driver’s license of the person driving when driving or parking the car is missing;
9. an expired insurance policy, or its absence, which confirms compulsory motor third party liability insurance;
10. there is no technical passport or diagnostic card that could confirm the timely completion of technical inspection of the machine and permission to use it in view of the satisfactory technical condition of its key units;
11. registration certificate, PTS or any other papers indicating ownership or the right to drive and dispose of the car under a power of attorney issued by its owner to the driver;
12. specialized documents for heavy vehicles - waybills, license cards, relevant documentation for the cargo itself located in the back of the car, etc.
13. Detection by a traffic policeman of the driver's state of intoxication. Especially in cases of obvious risk to other road traffic participants.
14. Significant damage to the car. For example:
    the braking system does not work well;
15. the steering mechanism is faulty;
16. the clutch is acting up;
17. broken lighting fixtures;
18. mirrors are bent in such a way that this can only be corrected in a repair shop and other key breakdowns.
19. Violation of the Road Traffic Rules for various reasons, including violation of road markings or prohibition signs.
20. The driver’s refusal to undergo a medical examination to determine the presence (or absence) of alcohol or drug intoxication.
21. Detection of illegally used or prohibited installations in vehicle structures:
    unregistered gas equipment;
22. illegal presence of gas equipment in the cabin;
23. applying logos and other signs to the car body that relate to operational government services;
24. illegal installation of flashing lights with alarms on cars;
25. illegal installation of radio equipment, etc.
26. Transportation of dangerous goods in clear violation of special rules.

To transport dangerous goods, the driver must have all the necessary papers that are usually used. And this is in addition to the primary documents - driver’s license, MTPL policy, diagnostic card.

There must also be a permit to drive vehicles when transporting dangerous goods - ADR. The driver must not have an expired certificate of completion of the medical examination, which is usually passed in such cases more often than other motorists.

In addition, each container, packaging, and container must be properly marked so that signs are placed warning of the danger and briefly informing about the first actions in an emergency situation.

It is necessary to note one important detail - according to the law, a delay of a vehicle for one reason or another can be carried out only when the cause of the violation cannot be eliminated within half an hour, forty minutes, or simultaneously.

In general, in practice, the period of time during which it is permissible to remove an obstacle or correct a violation is determined by a traffic police officer.

In a word, if you can really return home in a short time to get forgotten documents, or you can remove your illegally parked car, etc., then it is likely that you will not be fined and the car will not be taken to the impound lot.

Then in such cases there is a chance to simply get off with a regular reprimand and warning.

The sale of equipment from an impound lot is discussed in the article: the sale of equipment from an impound lot.

Read about the rules for providing impound parking services here.

Deadline for depositing the amount

This aspect largely depends on the motorists themselves, because the amount it will cost to detain the car directly depends on their efficiency. Therefore, it is only in his interests to pick up his movable property as quickly as possible, so as not to overpay.

The maximum period is secretly considered to be more than six months, because if the legal owner is not announced within such a period, the vehicle can be put up for auction. And there are plenty of people willing to buy a car at a reasonable price.

Also, the driver can only imagine with horror the cost of the return, if for every day of downtime he must pay from 500 to 3,000 rubles , an especially large amount for the owners of trucks.

The car was parked in a special parking lot - what measures will be taken?

Drivers should be aware that administrative detention of a vehicle is not considered a punishment. Special parking for a car in this case is a security measure, according to Article 27.1 of the Administrative Code, paragraph 7. This means that it is used in conjunction with the main type of punishment.

When such a measure as evacuation of a car appeared, this was necessary if the car creates interference. Today, a car can be taken to a special parking lot if penalties are imposed that imply a ban on driving a vehicle.

For example, the most popular violations of the Traffic Rules, for which a car can be placed in a special parking lot, are:

1. Alcohol intoxication has been proven and the driver has been examined or refused to do so.
2. The car is parked in a prohibited parking area. The car can be taken away even in the absence of the car owner if it interferes with other vehicles.
3. The driver drives a car without a registration certificate.

These are only the main types of violations, although there are many others for which your car can be seized and impounded. To familiarize yourself with the entire list of sanctions for which a car can be towed, you need to open and read the Code of Administrative Offenses in part of Article 27.13.

How to pick up a car

In this process, the main thing is to pay the required amount and receive a receipt that will indicate the completion of the financial transaction.

In general, the return process looks like this:

1. Contacting law enforcement agencies to obtain a report.
2. Contact the penalty area to find out the amount and details for payment.
3. Direct payment itself.
4. Return of the vehicle.

After you have received your vehicle back, you should report it to law enforcement authorities.

To prevent an offense from the Code of Administrative Offenses or a simple accident from becoming an expensive event for a motorist, you should know the basic rules for returning a vehicle.

The penalty fee for the first day in 2021 is not charged, so there is an opportunity not to overpay.

You should learn the legislative framework in order to be able to defend your rights and interests and not spend extra money.

Payment of impound parking at a discount is not provided for by law, but may be a marketing ploy from some companies.

When paying, it is important to receive a check or receipt that will indicate that the money has been deposited.

The pricing policy for each penalty area is set individually, so the exact amount for a specific case should be clarified individually.

How to find out which impound lot a car was taken to in Voronezh is described in the article: How to find out which impound lot a car was taken to. How to buy a motorcycle from an impound lot, see the page.

Is it possible to pick up a car from an impound lot without insurance? Find out from this information.

A special case

What to do if you don’t have documents for your car? This may be due to their loss, theft, or damage. And without documents, you will not be given a car from the parking lot. But even in this case, you can pick up the car - to do this, order a tow truck service. Usually in such situations, the impound lot workers give the car back, but sometimes refusals occur. Then you will have to deal with the restoration of lost documents, and this will take precious time. The case is especially delayed if the Russian citizen’s passport and vehicle certificate are lost at once.

In this matter, Russian legislation in 2021 has paradoxical facts . They consist in the fact that in some cases it will be impossible to pick up the car from the special parking lot. This can happen when the car owner handed over control to a drunk person who was charged under the relevant article for being intoxicated. At the same time, the car was evacuated to an impound lot, and its real owner died.

Under such circumstances, no one has the right to drive the car, since it is impossible to use the property before entering into inheritance. But at this time, the parking debt increases, and the responsibility lies with the violator, who died. Therefore, no one has the right to pick up a car from the parking lot. Nowadays, there is such a flaw in the law. After entering into an inheritance, relatives will be able to take the car, paying off the accumulated debt, or try to waive the debt through the court with the help of a lawyer.