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Tow and Storage Fees Letter to the Insurer

By Serdar Arslan, editor · Last reviewed · How we research

Use this letter when your car is at a tow yard or storage lot after a crash and the charges keep growing while the insurer decides what to do. It is most useful when the other driver's insurer has not yet accepted liability, because no one has authorized a repair and the car cannot leave without someone paying the yard.

The letter states where the car is, the daily rate, the charges so far and the date you reported the claim. It then asks the insurer to do one of three things by a date you choose: move the car to its own yard or an approved shop, confirm in writing that it will pay storage from the date you notified it, or tell you what it still needs. If it will do none of these, the letter asks for that in writing, so you can decide how to move the car yourself. The free tow and storage fee calculator on this site works out the running total and fills in a version of this letter for you.

Attach the tow receipt, the yard's itemized invoice, any rate sign or rate sheet posted at the yard, and photos. Send it by email so you have a dated record, and keep the letter limited to towing and storage so it does not settle the rest of your claim.

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[Your full name]
[Your mailing address]
[Your phone number]
[Your email address]

[Date of this letter]

[Adjuster name]
[Insurance company name]
[Insurance company address]

Re: Towing and storage charges, request for action
Claim number: [Claim number]
Insured: [Insured driver's name (or "my policy" if writing to your own insurer)]
Date of accident: [Date of the accident]
Vehicle: [Your vehicle (year, make, model, VIN)]

Dear [Adjuster name]:

My vehicle was towed on [Date the car was towed] and is being held at:
[Tow yard or storage lot name and address]

The yard charges [Daily storage rate] per day for storage. As of the date of this letter, the charges are [Total charges so far (tow, fees and storage)] ([Breakdown of the charges]). I reported this claim to your company on [Date you reported the claim to this insurer].

I want to keep these charges as low as possible, but the vehicle cannot be released or repaired until someone authorizes it. Please do one of the following by [Requested response date]:

1. Move the vehicle to your company's storage facility or a repair shop you approve, and pay the charges needed to release it; or
2. Confirm in writing that your company will pay the storage charges from [Date you reported the claim to this insurer] until the vehicle is moved; or
3. Tell me in writing exactly what you still need from me to make this decision.

If your company will not do any of these, please tell me in writing so that I can decide how to move the vehicle and limit the charges. I am removing my personal property from the vehicle and have asked the yard for an itemized invoice, which I will forward to you.

This letter concerns towing and storage only. It does not settle, release or waive any other part of my claim, including repair costs, loss of use or bodily injury.

Enclosures: [Enclosures]

Sincerely,


[Your full name]

Tips

  • Send the letter as soon as you know the car is in storage. Every day of delay adds the daily rate to the bill.
  • Ask the yard for an itemized invoice listing the tow, each day of storage and every other fee, and compare it with any rates posted at the yard.
  • If you have collision coverage, your own insurer may move the car and pay storage now, minus your deductible, and recover from the other insurer later.
  • Find out whether the police ordered the tow. Many states and cities regulate nonconsent tow rates, notice and release rules.
  • Remove personal items and documents from the car as early as the yard allows, and bring ID and proof of ownership.
  • Keep emails and call notes showing when you asked the insurer to act. They show which storage days were caused by waiting on the insurer.

Sources

  1. Texas Department of Insurance: Getting your insurance claim paid
  2. Cal. Veh. Code § 22658 (law.justia.com)
  3. Fla. Stat. § 713.78

Sending it and keeping proof

Keep a copy of everything you send. If a deadline or a response time matters, send letters by a method that gives you proof of delivery, such as certified mail with a return receipt, or email with a read receipt, and note the date in your claim file. Many insurers and agencies also accept uploads through an online portal, so save the confirmation screen or email.

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