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Can You Negotiate Towing Fees?
Please understand that we are no providing impound tow services, the article is describing impound services fees!
Each state has its laws surrounding the governance of impound towing fees. A vehicle can be impounded in California without notice if it sits on someone else's private property without permission. The vehicle's owner is responsible for whatever fees the towing company sets for their services. There is no room to negotiate in these cases.
If you need to call a towing service provider because your vehicle has stalled, there might be some cases where you can negotiate the towing fees. However, the towing company is not required to negotiate their fees. The law requires towing companies to publish their towing fees on public signs and advertisements.
Are Impound Towing Fees Negotiable?
For example, if you park in a restricted public area, there should be a sign warning you about parking there and how much the towing fees will cost. You cannot negotiate those fees because legal, administrative, and labor expenses are factored into them. The city sets most of those costs.
The good news is that you will never get overcharged for towing services. California law protects drivers by setting fee restrictions on all towing and storage costs. The law forbids towing companies from overcharging on their advertised towing and daily storage costs. If you ever see towing costs that exceed your car's value, it would be against the law for any towing company to charge that much.
The most you will have to pay are the fee amounts published on the towing company's website and advertisements. If you want to negotiate a lower price for the towing service, you must do so when you call the towing company. The tow truck operator does not get involved in those discussions, so please don't try to negotiate with them when they arrive.
Some city municipal government bodies offer towing fee waivers and vehicle storage fee waivers to individuals experiencing low-income or homelessness. San Francisco, for example, provides such releases to individuals experiencing hard times. But in Los Angeles, there are no such waivers available.
You would have to petition the City of Los Angeles to waive your towing fees. There is no guarantee whether they would do that. In extreme cases where you incur towing costs because someone else stole your vehicle, the city government would likely consider waiving your fees in those circumstances.
Overall, it is not common to negotiate towing fees. Your best bet would be to learn about towing fees in your area beforehand. That way, you won't be surprised about the prices if your vehicle does get towed.
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