What to Do If Your Car Is Stolen
by: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid - Austin
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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