Having a car towed from an on-campus location may be a hassle, but it is actually very reasonable when compared to the towing rates at off-campus private property locations.
University Director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation Gary Graham explained that the towing rates on the University grounds are significantly lower than the rates charged when one is towed from a location off-campus.
Graham said that Louisiana’s Public Service Commission sets a minimum tow amount, but this does not apply to University tows.
Public Service Commission’s Director of Transportation, Bill Withers, said that the minimum tow amount is currently $80.
Students who have been towed from campus are assessed an initial fee of $35 and are also issued a ticket, Graham said. Each year the University accepts bids from local wrecker companies, and then contracts the company with the lowest bid.
Students may be towed from campus for a variety of reasons.
“Officials must prioritize,” said Graham. “Often illegal handicapped and fire lane parking are an immediate concern, and are tended to first.”
Withers said that the PSC regulates only non-consensual tows, other towing practices are governed by the local police department.
Withers explained that there is little a driver can do when they face the expense and aggravation of being towed.
Those individuals who have had the unfortunate experience of having their cars towed know that frustration takes a back seat to the extra expense towing incurs.
When a student’s car is towed from private property such as an apartment complex, it will cost the student as much as $167 to retrieve the car the very same day it was towed.
Haywood, a Riverside Towing employee who preferred not to give his last name, said that all towing rates are regulated and set by the state.
Additional charges added to the initial $80 include storage, labor, fuel compensation, gate fees and administration expenses.
All of these charges are regulated by the PSC and cannot exceed certain amounts, Haywood said. Consequently, students may find that towing expenses remain consistent, regardless of what company actually towed the vehicle.
Riverside Towing charges about $119 for the retrieval of a vehicle when it is picked up during regular hours, Haywood said.
Haywood said if a student fails to pick up a car the day of the towing, additional storage fees apply. A daily charge of $12 is assessed until the car may be picked up.
This extra charge adds up quickly and can easily and rapidly increase the car owner’s expense.
For example, if a driver is towed on Friday night and waits until Sunday to get the car, the driver will be required to pay a total of nearly $200 after gate and storage fees are applied.
Consequently, it is in the student’s best interest to pick up the car as soon as possible.
Haywood commented that each car that is towed by a wrecker service must be reported to the police. If a student discovers that he has been towed, he may contact the local police department to find out the car’s location.
Withers said the best advice is for drivers to be aware of where they park and realize the risk that is taken when a car is parked illegally.