Towed Car Help

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Car towed in Brookline

Brookline is in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Here is how to find your car, what you can be charged, and what to do if the tow looks wrong. Last checked 2026-10-17.

Storage fees grow every day. Get your car back as soon as you can, even if you plan to dispute the tow. Pay, keep every receipt, and fight the charges afterward.

Find who towed your car

Street parking or a police tow

In Brookline, call the Brookline Police Department non-emergency to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it.

Apartment, store, or private lot

Look for a tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It often shows the tow company's name and phone number.

No sign, or you can't find it? The company must report the tow to police, so call the police non-emergency line and ask where your car went.

M.G.L. c. 266, s. 120D

No record of a tow anywhere? Report the car to police as possibly stolen.

What they can charge

$132.00
Most they can charge to tow a standard car from private property
$35.00
Most they can charge per day of storage
Other Massachusetts (statewide, DPU) maximums
ChargeMaximum
Storage in non-fenced outdoor lot (per 24h), half the statutory rate$17.50
Each mile beyond the first 5$4.40

The DPU maximum is $132 for a tow up to 5 miles, plus $4.40 per extra mile. Storage is capped at $35 per 24 hours at a lighted, fenced lot, and half that at other outdoor lots. Waiting-time and extra-vehicle charges do not apply to trespass tows. See the official Massachusetts (statewide, DPU) rates (opens in a new tab).

Estimate your bill

What to bring

  • A government photo ID and proof you own the car, such as the registration or title.
  • Payment. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Getting it back

  • Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

How to dispute a tow

  1. Collect evidence. Photograph the lot entrances and any signs, keep every receipt, and write down times and names.
  2. Ask for an itemized invoice. For a passenger car towed from private property, the maximum charge is $132.00 for a tow of up to 5 miles, at any time of day or week. The Department of Public Utilities sets this figure and it covers the first hour of service time.
  3. File a complaint.
  4. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Massachusetts small claims procedure covers contract and tort claims up to $7,000 (higher limits apply to some other claim types). If you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. For billing errors, your written dispute generally must reach the issuer within 60 days of the first bill showing the charge. Whether a tow charge qualifies is up to the issuer.

Deadlines to watch

Your car can be sold. Under s. 39A, after 60 days unclaimed the garage may send a registered-mail notice saying the car will be sold if not claimed in 21 days. It then publishes notice for three weeks and tells local police 5 days before the sale. This section is written around police-placed storage, so how it applies to a private-property tow is not confirmed.

The storage facility has a lien for its allowed towing and storage charges, enforceable under the sale procedure in c. 255, s. 39A.

Massachusetts deadlines, counted from the law

  • Garage may send registered-mail notice after car unclaimed: 60 days (see the law for when the count starts), if written around police-placed storage; fit for private-property tows not confirmed. M.G.L. c. 255, s. 39A (opens in a new tab)
  • Car may be sold if not claimed after notice: 21 days after the tow company's notice, if written around police-placed storage; fit for private-property tows not confirmed. M.G.L. c. 255, s. 39A (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Where is my car if it was towed in Brookline?

In Brookline, call the Brookline Police Department non-emergency to find out whether your car was towed and which company has it. For a private tow, the tow company must report it to police, so the police non-emergency line can usually tell you where the car is.

How much can a tow company charge in Brookline?

For a standard passenger car towed from private property, the published maximum is $132.00 for the tow and $35.00 per day for storage, under Massachusetts (statewide, DPU) rates. Other fees may apply; see the table on this page.

How long before a towed car is sold in Massachusetts?

Under s. 39A, after 60 days unclaimed the garage may send a registered-mail notice saying the car will be sold if not claimed in 21 days. It then publishes notice for three weeks and tells local police 5 days before the sale. This section is written around police-placed storage, so how it applies to a private-property tow is not confirmed.

Do I pay storage if I get my car back quickly?

Ask the tow company when storage charges begin.

Not verified yet for Brookline

We only publish details we could confirm from an official source. These are still missing, so ask the agencies above:

  • Addresses and hours of the tow lots that hold police tows
  • An official online lookup for towed cars
  • City-specific documents needed to pick up a car
  • Local rules for someone else picking up your car
  • Local auction schedules for unclaimed cars

Other cities in Norfolk County

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-17. These are the laws and official pages this page is based on.