There is nothing worse than getting up early in the morning, getting ready for another long day of work, grabbing your key cars, stepping outside, and…there’s a car blocking your driveway. Like what are you supposed to do? Until that car is removed, you’re pretty much stuck there, unable to use your own car.
It might be a stranger that has chosen to park there or a neighbor that has decided to park on your driveway instead of theirs (for whatever reason), or maybe even it’s your own car that needs towing, maybe because it’s broken down or something.
Whatever the reason, you need to tow away a car from your driveway, and you need to do it legally (duh). Well, the situation is frustrating, and sometimes it can be resolved with ease, and sometimes it will amount to even more frustration. But let’s get right into it.
How To Get Your Car Towed Directly From Your Driveway
Depending on your location, you will be able to get your car towed away in one way or another, as the laws will differ.
So for example, if you’re in Washington state and the car is parked on a residential property (like your driveway), then you can contact the towing company and the vehicle will be removed at once. The same goes for private non-residential properties, as long as there is a proper sign that indicates that it is private property.
When this happens, you need to phone the towing company and explain the situation. You will also have to give signed authorization to the tow truck operator, as they can only tow away the car if the property landowner (which is you) has specifically requested the car to be removed.
However, if the car is parked on non-residential private property and you didn’t put any proper signs up to indicate it was private property, then it will take a little longer to get the car legally towed away, as it will only be done after 24 hours (in order to allow the driver to remove the car, considering they did not know it was private property).
Sometimes, depending on the location, you can’t get the towing company to tow the car away unless you have consent from the police, despite the car being parked in a private residential area. So it is very important to double-check the rules that are applied where you live.
Can You Get Your Car Towed Away For Free?
If you want the car to be towed away for free, instead of you having to pay the towing company, then you need to call the police. They will then assess the situation, and if it is confirmed that the car is clearly trespassing on your private residential property, then they will arrange for the car to be towed, and you won’t have to pay. On top of this, you will also not be liable for any damage done to the car as it is being towed, because the police issues the car to be towed, it wasn’t you phoning up the company, you know?
Plus, you then have the police on your side if the owner of the car becomes extra angry, which is always good.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Your Car Towed?
If you don’t call the police, or the police state that it is not up to them (they might say that you are in your right to contact the towing company but that they will not issue it), then you will, unfortunately, have to pay for the towing service.
On average, this will cost around $110. However, the price will vary from place to place, and depending on the rates of the towing company you have contacted. It also majorly depends on how far they have to tow the car, so it is best to contact the nearest towing company so that they cover less distance!
What Do I Do If A Car Is Blocking My Driveway?
If a car is blocking your driveway, which is super annoying and frustrating, then there are a few things you can do:
If the car is parked on your private residential property, you are in your right to contact the police and have them issue a removal of the car, or you can contact the towing company yourself.
If the car is blocking your driveway, but you are unsure as to whether it is on your property itself, then you can contact a hotline service. There are many online and phone call services that deal with this specific situation, and they will be able to provide you with a solution.
If the situation happens repeatedly, like for example a neighbor constantly parking on your driveway, then you will have to issue some form of complaint, so that actions can be taken to prevent this.
How To Stop Neighbors From Parking On Your Driveway
Neighbors can be…challenging. Sometimes they become friends for life and trustworthy people you can count on, and sometimes they can become an absolute nightmare of problems and conflicts.
A common problem is for a specific neighbor to constantly park on your driveway, which blocks your own car, and also becomes an incredibly frustrating problem. But how do you stop your neighbors from doing this?
Well, there are a few different things you can do. It will also depend on how your neighbors react, and how persistent the problem becomes:
Contact The Neighbor In Question: The first course of action should be to approach the neighbor in question and let them know that they should not be parking on your driveway. You can do this by going up to their door, leaving a note, or catching them in the act and approaching them then.
Paint The Curb Of Your Driveway: Painting the curb of your driveway bright yellow can visibly indicate to other people (including the neighbor) that they cannot park there. However, you might have to ask permission to paint the curb.
Put Up A Sign: A clear “no parking” or “private property” sign can sometimes do the trick!
Install A Security Camera: This can be useful when the problem is persistent and keeps happening so that you have evidence with which to back up your complaint and claim.
Contact The Local Council Or Appropriate Hotline Service: There are often plenty of hotline services, or contacts within the local council, through which you can issue a complaint and explain the situation. They might then contact the neighbor on your behalf, which might cause the neighbor to finally stop parking where they shouldn’t.
