Documents for picking up a car from the impound lot
This is not to say that picking up your car is so difficult; the process itself is quite simple, but it can take a decent amount of your time and money. It’s definitely not possible to pick up a car without ownership documents; prepare your documents before going to the impound lot. You must understand that without documents no one will give you property, despite the fact that it belongs to you. This is the order, and everyone is obliged to follow it.
You must have with you:
- passport;
- driving license;
- STS;
- OSAGO policy;
- a document from the traffic police giving permission to receive a car;
- if you want to send another person to pick up the car, he will need a notarized power of attorney, without this the car will definitely not be returned.
After you have prepared all the above documents, you can proceed to the next step - obtaining a permit from the State Traffic Inspectorate. If the package of documents is not complete, you don’t have to waste your time, because you simply won’t be given permission to pick up your car. It’s better to think about how you can complete the missing papers as quickly as possible.
Why are cars towed?
Car owners often wonder about the main reasons for transporting a car to a penalty area.
This mainly happens due to:
- failure to comply with the rules during parking;
- improper transportation of dangerous goods;
- malfunctions of the steering or brake system;
- driving a car without having all kinds of documents;
- getting a car into an accident;
- lack of registration plate;
- lack of insurance policy
If you had to face this unpleasant situation and you don’t know how to behave, you need to contact the traffic police department. After all, it is the inspector who draws up a protocol on the violation and issues a fine to the car owner.
After which the inspector will issue a certificate confirming the possibility of removing the vehicle from the impound lot. In addition, the traffic police inspector is required to present a copy of the protocol.
This document contains the technical feature of the car and an indication of the tow truck based on the delay of the vehicle and transportation to the impound lot.
If the protocol is drawn up incorrectly, the document is considered invalid. Without the appropriate document, there is no offender.
Is it possible to pick up a car without compulsory motor insurance from an impound lot?
If for some reason you have not taken out compulsory insurance for your vehicle, you still have to do it. It’s definitely not possible to pick up the car without it; this is a mandatory requirement. And no matter how many discussions there are in various forums, legal scholars consider this requirement to be justified.
The law contains a clear requirement that obliges drivers to have a compulsory motor liability insurance policy, so you should not hope that you will be able to save money here too. If you want to continue using the car, then put the documents in order.
Why are vehicles being towed?
Cars in Moscow and other Russian cities are evacuated only in cases provided for in the Administrative Code.
The list in it is exhaustive. Thus, a vehicle cannot be taken to an impound lot on other grounds. Most often, evacuation is carried out in case of improper parking or stopping of vehicles in prohibited places. This provision is contained in Article 12.19 of the Administrative Code. Some drivers get behind the wheel while drunk, others forget their driver's license at home, and still others drive a car with such malfunctions that it is prohibited to drive. In addition, traffic police inspectors have the right to detain a car and send it to an impound lot if they have doubts that the documents presented are fake. Before picking up a car, a traffic police officer must draw up a report. The document shows the reason why the vehicle will be towed. It is also necessary to make an inventory of everything that is inside the car and take a photo of it from the outside. For the safety of things in the cabin, responsibility falls on the traffic police officer who detained the car.
Is it possible to pick up a car from an impound lot without the owner and without insurance?
What should I do if I'm not driving my own car? How can I pick her up from the impound lot?
The situation is also quite common and quite normal, because the owner himself cannot always do this, for example, if he is located in a completely different city, or maybe in another country.
Of course, there are no problems that cannot be solved; for this you will need two documents: a notarized power of attorney and an MTPL policy in which you are included. Before you receive someone else's car for use, it is assumed that you already have these documents. Therefore, in essence, you won’t need anything new. If there are no documents, fill them out urgently, since you won’t be able to pick up the car without them, and leaving the car in the impound lot every day costs a lot.
In our opinion, this requirement is very logical, since it is impossible to allow a complete stranger to calmly come and take someone else’s property. If this were so, many people would use this opportunity for criminal purposes.
Is lack of insurance grounds for evacuation?
If the traffic police officer confirms that you do not have an insurance policy, your car will end up in the impound lot. The inspector has the right to call a tow truck and take the car to the penalty area, drawing up a report on the spot.
Otherwise, car owners will need to pay not only for the lack of an insurance policy, but also for storing the car in a penalty area.
Usually, owners put passengers in their car and thus try to get rid of transporting the car to the impound lot. In this case, you can get off with only a small fine of 500 rubles .
In conclusion, mention should be made of the rights of car owners, which are carefully specified in the legislation of the Russian Federation.
If the reason for the violation is not known, then the fact should be photographed and stored until all the circumstances have been determined.
When returning the car to the owner, payment is not required, otherwise such an action will be considered illegal. This is stated in Article 421 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
Addresses where you can pick up a car from an impound lot in Moscow in 2020 can be found in the article: how to pick up a car from an impound lot in Moscow in 2021. How much does a parking lot cost in Yekaterinburg, see on the page.
Find out how much it costs to pick up a car from an impound lot in Tolyatti from this information.
They won’t give away the car without a policy: what to do?
It doesn’t matter who will pick up the car, there must be a compulsory motor liability insurance policy in any case. Most often, the lack of insurance may be due, for example, to the fact that the policy is expired, or the policy is seasonal and its validity is not relevant during this period. It also happens that the owner thus saved money and did not worry about having a policy. Such savings are nothing more than self-deception, since you will still have to take out insurance, and in the event of an accident, you will have to pay out of your own pocket.
Also, don’t expect to be able to “negotiate on the spot” and still not take out insurance. In recent years, reaching such an “agreement” has become increasingly difficult, since all work processes of State Traffic Inspectorate employees are recorded on video cameras, and many employees are not ready to break the law. You must understand that if you are too persistent, you can only do harm, since attempting to give a bribe is a serious crime that will inevitably entail punishment. We do not recommend that you solve problems in these ways.
There is a policy, but it is in a towed car
If you have a policy, you must first pick it up and only then obtain permission. You'll have to do a fair amount of riding, but there's no way around it.
First, find out the exact location of the impound lot. Afterwards you need to go there and explain the whole situation to the employees.
In order to pick up the documents, the impound lot employees will draw up a report, open the car; if the documents belong to you, they will be handed over against signature, and then they will also seal the car. With the received documents, you can go to the State Traffic Inspectorate and get permission.
Only after permission do you have grounds to pick up your vehicle. Of course, to do this you need to return to the impound lot again.
The advantage is that such organizations work 24/7, and you can do this whenever it is convenient for you. But still, it will be better if you notify in advance of your intention to pick up the car. Situations are different, it is better not to rush, and once again clarify the information to avoid misunderstandings.
How much is car downtime paid for?
You can pick up a car from a special site only after paying fines. You are paid for every day the machine is idle. In addition, you need to pay a fine for lack of insurance and other offenses. For example, the lack of insurance is often revealed when a traffic police inspector stops a driver for violating traffic rules or catches him parking incorrectly.
IMPORTANT! You need to pay all the fines that will be assessed for each day the car is idle and for tow truck services. Then, at the place where the car is idle, they write an application requesting the return of the vehicle, attaching documentation for the car, receipts for payment of all services and fines.
The amount of payment for the impound depends on the weight and power of the car:
- 3000 rubles if the driver has category A or B and the power of his vehicle does not exceed 80 hp;
- 5,000 rubles if a citizen has a category B license and the car’s power is 80-250 hp;
- 7,000 rubles if the driver has category B driving force and vehicle power of 250 hp or more;
- For an evacuated truck they pay 27 thousand rubles per day.
The numbers seem scary, but they also depend on the region. The largest fines in Moscow.
No policy
As mentioned earlier, there are not many options. If there is no policy at all, or there is only a seasonal one, and it is not currently valid, you will have to take out a new one.
In such a situation, you should not delay the registration, since the cost of the impound lot cannot be called low. The sooner you get insurance, the less you have to pay. In your case, the loss of time is equal to the loss of money; you should not delay resolving the issue.
If your policy expired recently, less than a month ago, the procedure will be simplified. No documents are needed, you just have to pay extra and renew the validity period. This can even be done online, which is also very convenient for you.
If there is no policy at all, or it has long expired, go to the insurer and draw up a new contract. It is important to understand that first of all you need this, since driving without a policy entails many risks.
Remember that if all documents are in order, many problems can be solved very simply. As a rule, the lack of necessary documents entails additional costs and difficulties. Take care of this in advance, and then you won't have to worry about anything.
Driving without insurance
If the driver does not have an MTPL insurance policy with him, according to the current rules this is considered an offense for which an administrative penalty is imposed. The fine is 500 rubles for insurance that was forgotten at home, or 800 rubles for driving without it. At the same time, the traffic police inspector should not at all take the driver’s word that the policy was forgotten at home, and has the right to fine him in the amount of 800 rubles. Then the driver, if desired, can have the fine reduced to 500 rubles. To do this, he should drive up to the traffic police department and provide insurance, on the basis of which the article will be reclassified to another.
However, liability will be added to such fines in the event of an accident. Then, if he is an offender, he will have to pay for the damage caused to the other vehicle, as well as to the injured participants in the accident. If you have MTPL with you, then these expenses will be borne by the insurance company.
After a car owner buys a car, he is given 10 days to take out an insurance policy.
