Car towed in Forest Grove

1Find who towed your car

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

2What they can charge

We have not verified local maximum rates for Forest Grove yet. Ask the tow company for its rate sheet. It must give you one on request.

Estimate your bill

3What to bring

• A government photo ID and proof you own the car, such as the registration or title.
• The state law does not require the company to accept credit or debit cards; it must disclose the payment methods it accepts. If it takes cash, it must give exact change by the end of the next business day. Portland requires permitted tow companies to accept Visa credit or debit cards. Call ahead to ask which types the lot takes.

Paperwork locked inside the car? You may get personal property of an emergency nature (medicine, glasses, ID, wallet, purse, cards, cash, child car seats) and your license plates. No fee may be charged except a gate fee from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. on business days or on weekends and holidays.

ORS 98.856(1)(d); ORS 98.854(12); Portland City Code 7.24.070(L); ORS 98.858(1)(c), (2); ORS 98.852(6)

4Getting it back

• The company must let you redeem or inspect the car 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on business days (Monday to Friday, not legal holidays). At other times it must do so within 60 minutes after you ask, or within 30 minutes of a time you agree on.
• Outside 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on business days, your car must be available within 60 minutes after you ask. You can call the company at any time for the car's location and release instructions.
• You may inspect the car before redeeming it. The company cannot make you agree not to dispute the reason for the tow, the charges, or its responsibility for damage as a condition of towing or releasing your car or belongings.
• Inspect the car before you drive away, and photograph any damage.

Before you sign anything: Write any damage on your receipt before you sign and take photos. Pay under protest if needed, and keep the written price statement and receipt for a small claims case.

ORS 98.858(1)(a); ORS 98.852(1); ORS 98.858(1); ORS 98.858(1)(a); ORS 98.854(10); ORS 98.854(10); ORS 98.856

5Was the tow legal?

Common problems with private tows in Oregon include missing tow-away signs, and refusing to release the car when you came back before it left.

Check my towSale deadlinesEvidence checklistDispute letter

Tow-away sign rules in Oregon

These apply to parking facilities (not proscribed property, single-family homes or duplexes).

• Where: Plain view; number and location not stated.

ORS 98.854(1) (opens in a new tab)

6How 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. The company must give you a written statement in bold 10-point type listing all its prices, where your car is stored, how to reach it, and the payment methods it takes. It may not charge more than those prices or more than the city or county maximum. Exception: signs at the lot may carry that information.
3. File a complaint.
   • City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PPI towing)
     Website (opens in a new tab)
   • Your city or county towing complaint office
   • Oregon Department of Justice Consumer Protection
     Website (opens in a new tab)
   • Oregon DMV towing business certificates
4. Go to court if needed. The statutes read give no administrative hearing for private-lot tows. If the storage lien is $750 or more, you can file a bond or deposit money at 200 percent of the claim with the county to challenge the lien. Many drivers instead pay and sue in small claims.
5. Consider small claims or a chargeback. Oregon small claims court (circuit court small claims department) handles money claims up to $10,000. 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.

7Deadlines to watch

Oregon deadlines, counted from the law

• Storage charges stop unless notice given within: 3 business days (see the law for when the count starts), if no notice mailed or given. ORS 98.812(2), (3) (opens in a new tab)
• Company must send certified storage-fee notice within: 20 days (see the law for when the count starts). ORS 87.176 (opens in a new tab)
• Company must keep car at least: 60 days after the tow. ORS 98.812(4); ORS 87.172(1), (3); ORS 87.192(1) (opens in a new tab)
• Company must keep car at least: 30 days after the tow, if car appraised $501 to $1,000. ORS 98.812(4); ORS 87.172(1), (3); ORS 87.192(1) (opens in a new tab)
• Company must keep car at least: 15 days after the tow, if car appraised $500 or less. ORS 98.812(4); ORS 87.172(1), (3); ORS 87.192(1) (opens in a new tab)
• Mailed notice must go out at least this many days before sale: 30 days (see the law for when the count starts). ORS 98.812(4); ORS 87.172(1), (3); ORS 87.192(1) (opens in a new tab)

See the dates for your tow

Common questions

Not verified yet for Forest Grove

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
• Local maximum rates for private-property tows
• 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 Washington County

• Beaverton
• Hillsboro
• Tigard
• Tualatin