DENVER (KDVR) — If your car has been towed, you may be wondering how much it is going to cost.
In Colorado, the rates towing companies can charge you for nonconsensual towing are set by the Public Utilities Commission.
If you arrive after your vehicle is hooked up to a tow truck but before it is taken away, the most you can be charged is $82.21. However, if it was being towed from residential private property, no charge can be levied.
The rates that towing companies can charge for nonconsensual towing differ depending on if it is a tow from private property or if it was ordered by law enforcement.
For private property tows, the maximum “hook fee” that can be charged is $211.11 for vehicles under 10,000 pounds. An additional charge of $3.80 per mile — up to 12 miles in certain areas and 16.5 in others, depending on how far from I-25 you are — also applies.
If diesel fuel costs more than $2.60 a gallon, a surcharge per mile can also be applied. This surcharge changes on a month-to-month basis and can be found on the Public Utilities Commission website.
For law enforcement ordered tows, a maximum of $240.75 per hour can be charged for towing, with some additional charges allowed.
For both private and law enforcement ordered tows, the most that can be charged to store a vehicle is $40.56 per day.
Towing companies are also allowed to charge an additional $89.24 maximum to release a vehicle outside of normal business hours.
Towing companies can also charge you to send a notice by mail no more than 10 days after the vehicle is towed. The notice is required by law and is a maximum of $75 if the vehicle was towed from private property and $150 if it was towed from public property.
The Community Economic Defense Project provides assistance to people whose cars were towed outside of their residences without consent.
Towing companies are required to release your vehicle for a reduced fee of either 15% of what is owed or $60, whichever is less. However, you will still owe the towing company the full amount.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)