It is possible that by committing an offence on the road, your car is currently in the impound lot. The fines and penalties you may have depend on your offence, the country and even your situation. In France, for example, all vehicles that are improperly parked can end up directly in a pound. This law has existed for several years and even applies in other countries. Be aware that to recover your car from an impound lot, you must follow many procedures. Some people can use the help of a professional, but it can be quite expensive.
Has your vehicle been removed according to law enforcement?
Before starting all the necessary procedures to recover a vehicle from the headland, you will need to know if the removal was carried out at the request of the police. According to the Highway Code, however, Article L 325-1, the sending of a car to an impound lot can be the result of several situations. For example, when driving rules are not respected, when driving on the road or when repairs useful for the car are not respected. And even though the seriousness of the crime depends on each country, if you make a mistake that puts many people around you at risk, you will not be able to escape it. Moreover, a vehicle that is parked in an uncomfortable or even dangerous parking lot can be sent directly to the impound lot. For example, there are cars parking on sidewalks, on garage exits, etc. In some countries, a car that is parked for more than a week in a public place may be in the pound. Remember that when your car is impounded, you are also required to pay a fine of between 17 euros and 200 euros. Click here to find out more about the cost of a fine for an offence or impounding in Paris.
Contacting the police or gendarmes: an essential step
The impoundment of your vehicle always involves the police. That said, the first thing you should do to get your car back is to contact the police or gendarmerie. It is possible that when you come home from work, you will notice that your vehicle is no longer parked in the place where you left it. In this case, make sure it has been removed and impounded. It is likely that it was stolen. Only a service in the gendarmerie can confirm the situation. Now, in several French cities, there is already a site that provides drivers who need to know which service to contact. But in some cases, pounds also have telephone switchboards that allow motorists to access them at any time. Only, this service is not free, but can guarantee you a satisfactory answer. Just give your vehicle registration number and you will have a detailed report on your situation and what you should do.
Go to the impound lot and make a declaration for recovery
Once you have confirmation that your vehicle is at the impound lot, you will need to get to the impound lot quickly. You will have to go there with a return authorization obtained from the gendarmerie. You will get a small form to fill in or you will pay the collection fee at the same time. Be aware that the exact amount so that you can recover your car varies depending on your responsiveness. Don't forget that the cost is daily. The longer you wait to get your car back, the more the amount increases. And if your vehicle remains in the pound for more than 3 days, you may have serious problems. The bill may even increase.
What happens if you arrive at the time of the pick-up?
Be aware that if you are present in the area when law enforcement decides to impound your vehicle, you could avoid this problem. Indeed, if you arrive on time and report while your car is still on the ground, you can stop the removal. This is indicated in law R 325-12-III, R. In this case, you will no longer have to pay a pound fee, but you will immediately get your car back. If you are in a public place, you should know that you were still required to pay a fine of 15 euros. And if your vehicle has a debit from a hoof that immobilizes it, you will have to pay 7 euros to ask the police to remove it.
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