After a DUI Arrest, Expect Your Car to Be Towed

If you are arrested for a Sarasota, FL DUI, most police officers order a tow truck to haul your car to the police impound or towing company lot. It is standard practice to protect the city from liability. That way you can’t sue the city if your car is vandalized or otherwise damaged while you are in custody. While you can ask the officer if your car can be left in a safe and legal location, it isn’t standard practice.

You should think hard about even asking. Unless you know you are leaving your car in a safe place or that you have someone who can pick the car up promptly, paying for a tow could end up costing far less than the cost of a stolen or stripped vehicle. Being arrested for DUI is stressful enough, but finding your car destroyed or missing after your release would be even more upsetting.

Cleared of the Sarasota DUI charge? Can You Recover the Towing Fees?

You may be wondering if you can recover those towing charges if you are cleared of your Sarasota DUI charge. Unfortunately, getting charges dismissed will not automatically entitle you to receiving a reimbursement of the towing fees.

As Sarasota DUI attorneys, Musca Law can file a petition for “factual innocence”, but we only encourage you to do so when the evidence clearly supports that you were sober at the time of your arrest. Otherwise our chances of collecting a reimbursement for you are extremely low.

Factual innocence is more difficult to prove than getting charges dropped. While a DUI attorney can block the admission of evidence because the arresting officer did not collect admissible evidence, that same inadmissible evidence is allowed into evidence when the Court hears your Petition for Factual Innocence.

If the Court finds the arresting officer had a reason to believe you were intoxicated, the Court will not grant a factual innocence petition. Unless we feel, as Florida DUI attorneys, that we can convince the judge that any reasonable person would conclude you are innocent, we will encourage you to pay the towing fees and chalk the experience up as one of life’s tough lessons.

How to Recover Your Car After a Sarasota DUI

You want to recover your car as quickly as possible because you pay not only towing fees, but also storage fees when a car is impounded.  The sooner you get the car out of impound, the better for your pocketbook.

To do this, you first need to find out where your car is located. Then you will need to secure a quote on what charges and fines you must pay before impound will release your car. Make sure that the quote you are given includes the entire day you plan to pick the car up on.

Next, you will want to call the impound lot to confirm that your car is actually there. Paperwork mistakes can occur, so confirmation can save you considerable time. Make sure you know what you need to bring with you. ID and police paperwork are common requirements. Get cash, a certified check, or a money order to pay your bill. Impound lots usually do not take checks.

Once you have taken care of these details, you can arrange for a ride to the impound lot. After you pay your bill, you should be able to drive away with your car.

Never Represent Yourself After a Sarasota DUI Charge

If you think recovering your car after a DUI arrest is an unpleasant task, trying to represent yourself after a Sarasota DUI arrest is even more unpleasant. You may find yourself with a permanent DUI charge on your record when it could have been prevented. Hiring a DUI attorney isn’t an expense. It is an investment in your future.

Contacting us can make the difference between a DUI on your record and a clean record. Contact a Sarasota DUI lawyer at our firm today for your free consultation.