This website and the documents it makes are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
Plain-language guides for people who were towed, and the audits, reports and court rulings behind them. Each summary is ours; follow the link to read the original.
Newest first. Government reports are public records; the others belong to their authors, so we link to them and do not post copies.
Describes an owner charged about $350 to get back a stolen vehicle recovered in the county, towed by a company on the Sheriff's Office rotation. It notes a criminal court can order a convicted defendant to repay towing costs.
Why it matters: Shows that crime victims can face tow and storage bills too.
One person's account; county tow, not City.
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The Attorney General concluded that peace officers may impound a vehicle when the driver cannot show proof of insurance, in constitutionally reasonable circumstances, and that a city may adopt an impound ordinance that does not conflict with state law. A court would likely find a city may not make a storage facility check proof of insurance before releasing a vehicle impounded for that reason.
Why it matters: Lubbock moved in 2011 to tow uninsured vehicles on a first offense; this is the State's later legal analysis of that kind of ordinance.
An Attorney General opinion is not a court ruling, and it does not mention Lubbock.
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Reports the Council's 6-0 first-reading vote to let police tow on a first no-insurance offense, only after a stop for another violation or a crash, and what owners would have to pay and show to get the car back.
Why it matters: Explains why some Lubbock police tows follow a no-insurance stop.
First reading only; we have not confirmed the final vote or text.
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Court rulings about towing in Lubbock. A case decides the dispute in front of the court; whether it applies to a tow depends on the facts.
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