When a tow happens, the clock starts. This article is the operational playbook for the hours and days that follow — what the towed resident or guest is experiencing, what to check in the first hour, how to handle the call when it comes, and what to document afterward.
For how tows get authorized and what ParkingPass records, see How Tows Are Authorized and Recorded. If the resident or guest challenges the tow, see Tow Disputes and Wrongful Tows.
What the Resident or Guest Experiences
Knowing what the towed party sees helps you answer the call you're about to receive.
An empty parking space. The vehicle is gone. This is usually how the affected party first realizes a tow happened.
Signage at the property. Your tow signage should include the patrol vendor's name and phone number. This is what the resident or guest calls to locate their vehicle.
A call to the tow vendor. Recovery, including fees, is handled directly between the vehicle owner and the tow vendor. ParkingPass is not involved in the payment for recovery.
Possibly a notification if the vehicle was associated with a registered resident or active guest pass and your property's notification rules apply.
The vehicle owner pays the tow vendor's recovery fees directly. Those fees are set by the tow vendor and are not controlled or collected by ParkingPass.
In the First Hour
Confirm the tow in ParkingPass. Open Reports → Patrol → Violations and filter to Tows. Find the record and verify the violation reason, plate, and time.
Check whether the vehicle was authorized. Cross-reference the plate against your resident permits, active guest passes, and the Do-Not-Tow list. If the vehicle should have been authorized but wasn't (expired DNT, lapsed guest pass, missed registration), note it — you may have a process gap to fix.
Pull up the photos, if your patrol vendor captured them. Photos answer most "but my car was fine where it was" questions.
Identify who to contact (or who will contact you). If the plate matches a registered resident, expect a call. Have the violation record open when they do.
When the Call Comes In
Confirm the tow occurred and direct them to the tow vendor. Vehicle recovery is handled by the vendor, not by you. Your tow signage has the vendor's phone number; share it again if needed.
Explain why the tow happened. Reference the violation reason from the record. "Your vehicle was towed for [reason]" is more useful than "I'd have to check."
Acknowledge feelings without committing to a refund or reversal. Most callers are upset. You can be empathetic without promising outcomes the dispute process governs.
Explain the dispute path. If they believe the tow was wrong, point them to your property's dispute process and the resident portal where they can submit it. See Tow Disputes and Wrongful Tows and Citation Disputes: A Complete Workflow Guide.
Within 24 Hours
Document the conversation in the resident's profile if they were a resident or guest of a resident. This becomes important if the same person disputes other future actions.
Add photos to the record if your vendor's didn't capture, or if there are additional details you noticed during the recovery process. Use the Add Photos option in the Action menu on the violation record.
If you've found a process gap — an expired DNT entry, a missed guest pass — fix it now. The same situation will recur if the underlying issue isn't addressed.
Common Questions
Can I cancel a tow once it's been authorized?
If the tow truck hasn't arrived yet, contact your patrol vendor immediately. Once the vehicle is hooked, cancellation depends on the vendor's policies and your state's laws. ParkingPass can mark the violation as overturned later, but it can't physically stop a tow in progress.
The resident says they were never notified. Was a notification sent?
ParkingPass sends notifications based on your property's configuration and whether the vehicle was tied to a registered resident or active guest pass. Unregistered vehicles don't have anyone to notify. Confirm the configuration with support if you're unsure.
The resident is threatening legal action. What do I do?
Document the situation in detail, stop discussing the matter informally, and route the issue to your property's legal contact or insurance. The dispute process exists to resolve these matters within ParkingPass; legal threats should be handled outside the platform.
Important Notes
Tows are the most visible enforcement action your property takes. They generate strong reactions, so handling them calmly and consistently is what makes the program defensible.
Recovery of the vehicle is between the vehicle owner and the tow vendor. ParkingPass is not part of that transaction.
Patterns of repeated tows usually point to a fixable underlying cause (signage, expired DNT, communication gap). Patrol Analytics is the fastest way to spot those patterns — see How Tows Are Authorized and Recorded for the patterns to watch.