Page last updated on May 1, 2024 at 12:38 pm
Has your vehicle been towed from a city street or a city owned parking lot or parking garage? Please contact the customers service center at 812.349.3436 Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm during normal business hours. Outside normal business hours please contact our Parking Services Enforcement Team Leader or Manager at 812.349.3927.
Please provide the last known location of the vehicle, license plate/state, make, model, and color of the vehicle. The parking agent will be able to provide the reason why the vehicle was towed. There are three reasons a vehicle may be towed: abandoned vehicle, reserved parking space(s), and outstanding parking citations.
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1. Was the vehicle towed because it was deemed an abandoned vehicle (No Hold)?
City Code: 15.52.040 Removal of abandoned vehicles. (a) An officer or parking enforcement officer who finds a vehicle or parts believed to be abandoned shall attach in a prominent place a notice tag containing the following information: (1) The date, time, officer's or parking enforcement officer's name, city police department, and address and telephone number to contact for information. (2) That the vehicle or parts are considered abandoned. (3) That the vehicle or parts will be removed after seventy-two hours. (4) That the owner will be held responsible for all costs incidental to the removal, storage, and disposal of the vehicle or parts. (5) That the owner may avoid costs by removal of the vehicle or parts within seventy-two hours. (b) If the tagged vehicle or parts are not removed within the seventy-two hour period, the police officer or parking enforcement officer shall prepare a written abandoned vehicle report in accordance with Indiana Code Section 9-22-1-12.
2. Was the vehicle towed because it was parked in a reserved parking area or space (No Hold)?
15.48.010 - General provisions. (a) Vehicles parked in any of the following circumstances are declared public nuisances and shall be subject to removal and impoundment in accordance with this chapter, as well as any fines set by state law or city ordinance: (15) Any vehicle parked in a regulated parking space at a time that parking is prohibited by a posted "No Parking" sign. Notice shall be posted at least twenty-four hours before the parking restriction becomes effective at any regulated parking space in the public right of way, except when an emergency requires immediate action.
3. Was the vehicle towed for outstanding citations (HOLD)?
City Code: 15.48.010 General Provisions (a) Vehicles parked in any of the following circumstances are declared public nuisances and shall be subject to removal and impoundment in accordance with this chapter, as well as any fines set by state law or city ordinance: (8) Any vehicle which has accumulated six or more unpaid citations. The owner of the vehicle must provide proof that the parking citations have been paid before the vehicle will be released. Parking officials will provide notice to the vehicle owner when issuing a fifth parking citation to the owner who has four unpaid citations.
If NO HOLD is placed on the vehicle and the driver may retrieve the vehicle by providing the following required items at the time of pick up to the tow service provider.
- Proof of Ownership: State Issued Title or State Issued Current Registration
- State or Photo ID
- Driver License
- Pay assigned Tow Service Provider Fees
Once an agent provides the authorized tow service used and the reason for the tow was for outstanding parking citations, there will be a hold placed on the vehicle by Parking Service Division. This hold represents the total outstanding due for parking citations. Please be certain the person who will be claiming the vehicle knows the total amount due. The vehicle will be held until proof that this amount has been paid in full.
Please note: Prior to being towed for outstanding parking citations a neon green, “Immediate Action Required Notification” of unpaid citations was placed on the vehicle. This notification provided the driver with the necessary steps to take to avoid being towed for outstanding citations.
The owner or driver may retrieve the vehicle by providing the following required items at the time of pick up to the tow service provider.
- Take the receipt(s) (T2 online payment receipt & Capital Recovery online payment receipt) showing the amount of payment(s) to the tow service provider which must be the total the amount the vehicle is being held for.
- Proof of Ownership: State Issued Title or State Issued Current Registration
- State or Photo ID
- Driver License
- Pay assigned Tow Service Provider Fees
To retrieve the vehicle during or outside normal business hours it will be necessary to follow the process outlined below.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week online access is available to the Parking Service Department website, click on Parking Citations or just click this link Pay Parking Citations
This will show how many citations are still outstanding to the City of Bloomington however if the citation(s) is not eligible to be paid, it will state under the header pay citation, "Citation cannot be paid", this indicates this citation has been sent to a collection agency due to the length of time it has been left unpaid.
Therefore, it will then be necessary to contact Capital Recovery Systems at 1.800.693.6835 or 1.888.460.9955 Monday-Thursday 8 am-7 pm, Friday 8 am-5 pm, and Saturday 8 am to noon. You may also visit 24/7 their website link at https://paycapitalnow.com/. Payment can be made by MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and Electronic Check. Please make sure to get a copy of the receipt of the paid-in-full transaction.
If any citations are in collection status, there is a 30% administrative fee added to each citation. For example: if a citation is $60.00 there is an $18.00 (30%) administrative collection fee total cost would be $78.00.
- Proof of Ownership: State Issued Title or State Issued Current Registration
- State or Photo ID
- Driver License
- Pay assigned Tow Service Provider Fees
Please contact the tow agencies directly before arrival or pickup.
This information below may be subject to change by the towing services.
Chandler's Towing Service : 1107 N Jackson St, Bloomington, IN 47404 Phone: 812-336-1061 Payment types accepted: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Cash Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday & Sunday 10:30 am to 2:00 pm
Hawkins Towing & Recovery: 800 E Thornton Drive, Bloomington, IN 47401 Phone: 812-327-8305 Payment types accepted: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and Cash Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm or prior arrangements (schedule an appointment) need to be made before the office closes.
Ken’s Westside Service & Towing: 3111 Venture Boulevard, Bloomington, IN 47404 Phone: 812-336-9050 Payment types accepted: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and Cash Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 1:00 pm by appointment only.
Rick’s Towing: 1201 W 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404 Phone: 812-876-7108 Payment types accepted: Cash Only Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm please call for an appointment.
15.48.020 - Removal and impoundment procedure.
(a) Any officer of the Bloomington Police Department or parking enforcement officer discovering a public nuisance as described in Section 15.48.010 shall cause the vehicle to be removed by an authorized towing service. When the owner or operator of a motor vehicle appears personally at the site of the tow before the vehicle is in the process of being towed, the vehicle shall not be towed nor shall any fee be charged. However, when the owner or operator of a motor vehicle arrives at the site of the tow when the vehicle is already in the process of being towed, the authorized towing service shall give the owner or operator either oral or written notification that the owner or operator may pay a fee in the amount that is not greater than half of the amount of the fee the authorized towing service would normally charge for the immediate release of a motor vehicle. For purposes of this section, a motor vehicle is in the process of being towed when it is attached to the tow truck and at least two tires of the vehicle are off the ground.
(b) A vehicle towed under this chapter shall be available to be claimed within sixty minutes of its arrival at a vehicle storage facility, and the vehicle shall be released promptly upon demonstration of proof of ownership, such as title or registration of vehicle and either:
(1) Payments of fees, including an administrative towing fee of $25.00 to the City of Bloomington for towing of vehicles for reserved parking violations and outstanding citation violations.
(2) Payment of twenty percent of the fees and execution of a payment agreement for the fee balance.
15.48.030 - Towing and storage charges.
The maximum amount that an authorized towing service may charge for hooking up, towing or removing a vehicle under this chapter may not exceed $135.00, except where special treatment may be required. Special treatment, including dollying, may not exceed an additional $25.00. The maximum amount that may be charged for storage of vehicles shall not exceed $25.00 per day. The storage fee may not begin to accrue until twenty-four hours have passed since the vehicle arrived at the storage facility.