We are not a law firm. This website gives general information and self-help forms that you choose and fill in yourself; it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. What you tell us is not protected by attorney-client privilege.
(No somos un bufete de abogados. Este sitio web da información general y formularios de autoayuda que usted elige y llena; no sustituye el consejo de un abogado. Lo que nos dice no está protegido por el privilegio entre abogado y cliente.)
Your car was towed. Check what the law required.
Washington law sets rules for tow companies and the people who authorize tows: signed authorizations, signs, notices, receipts, hours and fees, and the Spokane Municipal Code and Spokane County Code add rules for public impounds and boots. When a tow didn't follow them, you can ask a court for a hearing, and an improper impound means no towing or storage fees. Answer a few questions to see which rules may apply to your tow and what evidence to collect. You choose what goes in any letter or form, and you send it in your own name.
What happened
These questions decide which rules apply to your tow and whether any short deadlines are running. "Not sure" is always a fine answer.
Your documents
Gather what you have. Each one is optional. An itemized invoice and the written tow authorization answer many questions, because the law says exactly what they must contain.
Automatic reading is coming next. Soon the tool will read your invoice and authorization and list which required items it can and can't find. For now, keep your files here as your evidence set and use them to answer the questions.
iPhone photos are fine; we convert them automatically.
Your files stay in this page only. They are not uploaded or saved, and they are cleared if you reload. Before you share documents with anyone, cover other people's names and home addresses.
Questions
One section at a time, only for the rules that fit your tow. Answer what you can. "Not sure" keeps the rule on your review list and adds items to your evidence checklist.
Finish your letters
A few more questions fill the blanks in your letters. Skip anything you don't know; the letter keeps a yellow blank for it.
The follow-up questions couldn't load. You can fill in Your details in the last step instead.
Evidence to collect
Built from the rules your answers left open, including every "Not sure." Evidence disappears fast: signs get replaced and paperwork gets lost. Photograph with the date visible. Washington requires the consent of everyone in a private conversation to record it (RCW 9.73.030), so write notes instead of recording.
Do the best you can. You don't need everything on this list — even a few photos help. Start with the items marked Most important: papers and signs the law requires. Then, if you can, the ones marked Also important.
Choose the rules to include
These are rules you can choose to include. They are listed because of your answers, including every "Not sure"; they are not ranked, and none is a conclusion about your tow. Nothing is selected for you. Check only the ones you want in your letter because you believe they were not met, and say what happened in your own words. Your letter lists only the rules you check, with the words you type.
Your letters
Drafts built only from the items you selected, with your own words exactly as you typed them. Yellow marks something to fill in. Edit them, then send them yourself.
Your details
Set from your answer to “How are you connected to this vehicle?” in Step 1. Change it here if it's wrong.
Your own figure. The tool does not calculate penalties or add up amounts.
For the complaint
Change it if it's wrong.
From the impound authorization
From the notice of storage
From the lien-sale notice
Did it work? When your tow is resolved (or if it's still going), tell us how it turned out. It helps the next person. Share your story