Towing is the part of a crash nobody plans for, and it is the one that starts costing money immediately. A vehicle sitting on a storage lot accrues a daily charge from the moment it arrives, whether or not anyone has told you where it is.
TheGuru.info arranges towing across the Houston area around the clock, and — more usefully — helps people get a vehicle released from a lot it has already been taken to.
The meter starts at the roadside
After a collision on a Houston freeway the vehicle is usually removed quickly, because clearing the lane is the priority. It goes to whichever storage facility the responding agency uses. Nobody discusses the rate with you at the scene.
Texas regulates vehicle storage facilities, and they are required to notify the registered owner and lienholder in writing. That notice takes days to arrive, and the daily storage charge does not pause while it is in the post. People routinely discover the vehicle's location and the size of the bill in the same phone call.
If your car was towed after a crash and you are not certain where it is, finding out today is worth real money.
Getting a vehicle released
To collect a vehicle from a storage facility in Texas you generally need proof that you are entitled to it and photo identification — typically the title or registration in your name, or documentation from the lienholder. A facility can require the charges to be settled before release.
Three things complicate this in practice:
- The car is evidence. If the collision is being investigated, or if the vehicle's condition matters to the claim, releasing it to a salvage buyer before it has been photographed and inspected can remove proof you later need.
- The insurer wants to total it. Once an insurer declares a vehicle a total loss it may take ownership. What you accept, and when, is worth understanding before you sign the release.
- Storage charges outrun the car. On an older vehicle the accrued storage can approach what the car is worth. Deciding early is the difference between a decision and a default.
Do not let it sit while you think
The most expensive advice we give is also the simplest: whatever you decide to do with the vehicle, decide quickly. A week of indecision on a storage lot is a real cost that comes out of your pocket, and it is the least recoverable money in the entire claim.
If you are not sure whether the vehicle should be moved yet — because it may need to be inspected — say so when you call. Moving it to a cheaper facility or releasing it to a shop are both options, and they are not the same decision.
What we do
We arrange a tow if you still need one, and if your vehicle is already on a lot we will help you establish where it is, what is accruing, what the facility requires for release, and whether it should be inspected before it goes anywhere.
Available every day, at any hour. If your car is blocking a live traffic lane right now, call 911 first.