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Frequently Asked Questions
& General Information Sources
What to Do If Your Car Is
Stolen
by: Texas RioGrande
Legal Aid
Your primary concern
after your car has been towed is to locate and retrieve
it. In order to do this, you will need to find out
where you car has been taken. Look around the parking
lot where your car was towed for a sign that gives
a number for the towing company or storage facility.
If you cannot reach someone at the number given,
you can contact the local law enforcement (police,
sheriff department, highway patrol). Within two
hours of receiving a vehicle from a non-consent
tow, the towing company is required by law to report
the tow to law enforcement.
Once you have located
your vehicle, call the facility where your car is
located. Make sure you ask the storage facility
exactly what paperwork you will need to bring with
you. You will definitely need to take proof of ownership
(such as the vehicle registration or title), valid
photo identification by a state or federal authority,
and proof of authority. Make sure that the name
and address on the photo identification and proof
of authority match. Proof of insurance is NOT proof
of ownership. If you do not have proof of ownership,
you may be able to present other items. Such as,
a copy of the sales contract from the dealership
where you bought the vehicle, a search at a title
company (you will need your car’s license
plate and vehicle identification number), or a certified
copy of the title from the Texas Department of Transportation,
Motor Vehicle Title and License Division. For more
information call (512) 465-7611.
For more information
on storage facility fees, notification requirements,
and information on illegal towing contact the Texas
Department of Transportation at www.dot.state.tx.us.
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