Car towed from private property in Lithonia
Your car got towed from a lot or apartment complex in Lithonia. Here is what Georgia law actually requires before that is allowed.
What Georgia law says
In Georgia a tow from private property is a non-consensual tow, and it is governed by O.C.G.A. section 44-1-13 and the Georgia Department of Public Safety rate tariff, not by whoever felt like moving your car. The property owner or an agent has to make a same-day request for each vehicle, the lot has to be signed a specific way, and the rates are capped by the state. Several of those rules are worth real money to you if they were broken. The law does not cover a police-directed tow or a car taken off a public street, which run on different tracks.
How it works in Lithonia
- 1 Confirm it was a non-consensual private-property tow
If the car was on a public street or the tow was police-directed, this is not it. O.C.G.A. section 44-1-13 covers vehicles removed from private property at the owner's or an agent's same-day request.
- 2 Look at the sign
The lot must post a sign within 50 feet of each entrance, at least 12 inches by 18 with lettering at least 3/4 of an inch, stating the tow company name, the address where the car can be recovered, the cost of recovery and the accepted payment methods. No compliant sign, and the removal was unlawful.
- 3 Check for automatic patrols
Georgia bans watching a lot with automatic or systematic surveillance to trigger tows. The operator has to be called for each individual trespass. A camera-triggered blanket tow carries a $1,000 fine.
- 4 Use the arrival rule
If you get back to your car before it is hooked or loaded and you have your key and move it right away, no fee can be charged. Note the time and any witnesses if the operator tows it anyway.
- 5 Check the rate
For a vehicle under 10,000 pounds the state tariff caps the tow at $228 and storage at $33 a day, with no storage for the first 24 hours and notification charges capped at $91. Anything above that is a violation.
- 6 Complain to the state
Georgia DPS regulates non-consensual towing under Tariff No. 5, and a kickback from the operator to the property owner for the removal rights is itself unlawful and carries a $1,000 fine. Keep the invoice, the photos of the lot and a log of your calls.
What this looks like around Lithonia
The Buford Highway corridor through Chamblee and Doraville is dense apartment parking, and tenant and guest tows are constant. The same state sign and rate rules apply, and the operator has to be called for each individual car, so a blanket camera patrol is unlawful. Spanish is the working language here.
Lithonia sits in southeast DeKalb County, in the old granite belt east of Atlanta. I-20 runs just south, the main long-haul corridor between Atlanta and Augusta, US-278 carries the surface traffic, and the retail development around the Stonecrest area feeds the commercial side. The I-20 stretch here produces multi-vehicle crashes and breakdown recovery at highway speed, while the arterials and shopping-center lots produce breakdowns and private-property tows. Those private tows fall under O.C.G.A. 44-1-13, so the lot needs conspicuous signage near each entrance and the operator must be called for each individual vehicle. An impounded car is released from the DeKalb County lot at 2158 Tucker Industrial Rd in Tucker, (770) 493-9083, at $125 plus $15 a day, and private-lot charges are capped by the Georgia DPS Tariff No. 5. The operator we send covers I-20, US-278 and the Stonecrest retail district, with flatbed for interstate recovery and wheel-lift for the local call.
Common Lithonia questions
Is it legal to tow my car from a parking lot in Lithonia?
Yes, when the property owner or an agent made a same-day request, the lot is signed the way O.C.G.A. section 44-1-13 requires, and the operator charged no more than the state tariff. Removing a car from a lot that lacks a compliant sign, or on a standing camera patrol with no per-car call, is unlawful.
Does a lot have to post a sign before towing in Lithonia?
Yes, and the rule is specific. A sign within 50 feet of each entrance, at least 12 by 18 inches, lettering at least 3/4 of an inch, naming the tow company, the retrieval address, the cost of recovery and the payment methods accepted. Ask whether that lot's sign meets it.
What if I show up before the tow truck leaves in Lithonia?
If your car is not yet hooked or loaded and you return with your key and move it immediately, no fee can be charged under Georgia law. If the operator tows it anyway, note the time and get the invoice, because that is a rate you can dispute.
Does Quick Tow Atlanta do private-property tows in Lithonia?
We are not a licensed tow operator and we do not pretend to be. What we do is connect property managers with the operators we send, who hold the permits and follow O.C.G.A. section 44-1-13, and help drivers work out what actually happened to their car. Call (678) 379-5984.
Related help for Lithonia
Private-property tows in the rest of the East DeKalb & Buford Highway area
Need your car towed once it's released in Lithonia?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.