Towing

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Having your vehicle towed without your knowledge can be incredibly frustrating. Whether it was because of a mistake you made, like not seeing signs that state: “Parking for Patrons Only” or "Resident Parking Only", or because you intentionally parked illegally or without paying.  Please know neither the City of Wilton Manors nor the Wilton Manors Police Department tow vehicles from private property for private non-law enforcement matters.

  • Towing from private property is done at the direction of a property owner or their designee and does not involve The City. 
  • Towing companies, their regulations, practices, and any violations are subject to Florida State Statute 715.07.  Locally, these companies are governed by Broward County ordinances: DIVISION 2. - TOWING AND IMMOBILIZATION REGULATION.
  • The Broward County Environmental & Consumer Protection division has a website you may visit with information regarding towing regulations, rates, and complaints: 
  • The Wilton Manors Police Department cannot enforce violations of any Broward County ordinance as we do not hold jurisdiction.  Broward County does offer a way to file a towing complaint with their Environmental and Consumer Protection Division on their website. 

By following these tips, you can make sure that you avoid getting your vehicle towed.

  1. Check the signs around where you park.  Make sure wherever you park, you are able to legally do so, whether it is a public parking spot or private patron/owner parking only. Some areas have certain restrictions on things like who can park, how long you can be parked, what times you can be parked, or if you need a special ID, sticker, placard or license plate. 
  2. Do not park in a privately owned parking lot, and leave the premises.  A majority if not all businesses and property owners require you to remain on their property to patronize their businesses, and should you leave their property at any time they reserve the right to tow your vehicle.   
  3. Be sure to pay the meter if there is one.  This is so important, do not try to ditch paying the meters, they are there for a reason: Stopping people from parking without paying. Remember, the fine you will pay for getting your vehicle out of a tow yard or having a boot removed will be much more expensive than just filling up the meter, even if you are only parking for a few minutes. Nothing is worse than going back to your vehicle to find that it is either gone or cannot be driven away.
  4. Set an alarm on your phone in advance of the meter expiring.  It is incredibly important to set a reminder so that as it gets close to the time you have to either leave or refill the meter, you can be there...
  5. If your vehicle breaks down, call your tow company before someone else gets the chance.  When your vehicle breaks down, be sure that you inform your roadside assistance company so they can come and tow your vehicle for free rather than having it be towed by someone else and having to pay to have it released. Why pay for roadside assistance and towing if you never use it? A roadside assistance tow truck can also bring you and your vehicle to an auto repair shop instead of to the tow yard where you might still be stuck.

While some of these tips may seem almost too simple, they are things  we often forget. Treat parking just like going through an intersection, being very alert making sure you are in the clear.  Be sure to check, and even double check to make sure that everything is legal before leaving your vehicle.