A car left at a tow yard in Tennessee keeps costing money, and it does not stop being yours right away. The storage business must send specific notice before an unreclaimed vehicle can proceed toward auction. The owner generally has 20 days from that notice date to reclaim it.
The clock on a car left at a tow yard in Tennessee
Tennessee replaced its former abandoned-vehicle law when Chapter 16 was repealed in full on July 1, 2024. The replacement chapter is the MOTION Act, later amended by 2025 Tenn. Public Chapter 457. Advice that still cites Chapter 16 may rely on outdated deadlines.
Under the current process, the storage business first has three business days to verify ownership. It then has three more business days to notify the owner and every lienholder. The 20-day reclaim period begins on the notice date, not automatically when the tow occurred.
That distinction matters when a car has already sat for several days. Don’t calculate your remaining time from the pickup date alone. Find the notice and identify its date. Keep the envelope and delivery tracking with your other records.
First, confirm which facility has the car. MPD, Shelby County Sheriff, and Memphis Housing and Community Development tows all go through the MPD Vehicle Storage Lot at 465 Klinke Avenue. Memphis doesn’t provide an online lookup for those vehicles. The MPD Vehicle Storage Lot page is the official contact source.
Our guide to finding a towed car in Memphis explains what to gather before contacting the lot. Have the plate or VIN ready.
Tennessee rules don’t follow a vehicle across state lines. A car removed in Southaven falls under Mississippi law. A tow originating in West Memphis falls under Arkansas law. The Memphis destination doesn’t turn either tow into a Tennessee case.
What the yard has to prove it sent, and how
The notice isn’t just a casual letter. It must travel through a nationally recognized overnight carrier, with proof of delivery requested. The required method isn’t ordinary USPS mail.
The document must identify the vehicle by year, make, model, and VIN. It must also provide the storage facility’s location. Most importantly, it must explain the right to reclaim the vehicle within 20 days after payment.
Compare the notice against the car and your ownership documents. A wrong VIN, missing facility location, or unclear notice date deserves prompt attention. Save the letter, envelope, tracking record, and every bill you receive. Written records are easier to review than memories of a rushed phone call.
The two early deadlines carry a direct financial consequence. If the storage business misses either the ownership-verification deadline or the notice deadline, it may receive no more than six days of storage-related expenses. Violating the notice requirement is also a Class B misdemeanor.
That doesn’t mean every disputed bill resolves itself. Ask the facility to show when it verified ownership, when it sent notice, and what delivery record it requested. Keep your request factual and in writing when possible.
Memphis also has a municipal complaint route for city wrecker matters. The Permits Administrator and Wrecker Coordinator handle those complaints. Our guide to your rights after a Memphis tow explains how the local process fits beside Tennessee law.
Twenty days, and what ending it early costs
The 20-day window gives the owner a chance to reclaim the vehicle by paying the required charges. It isn’t a promise that every charge is valid. Request a dated breakdown and compare it with the notice and release records.
For an MPD Vehicle Storage Lot case, the city’s published charges are a $135 impound fee and $30 per day for storage. Winching or other additional charges may apply. Those are the city’s fees, not Quick Tow Memphis prices. The city accepts cash and credit.
An owner collecting from the city lot needs proof of ownership, such as the registration, title, or lease. The lot also requires the plate or VIN and valid photo identification. A licensed driver must drive the vehicle away. Otherwise, another tow must be arranged for an added charge.
Different limits apply to certain non-consent tow charges. When the owner didn’t expressly authorize the tow or storage, a release fee over $100 is prohibited. The facility also can’t add a gate, access, or release fee during normal business hours on a day when it charges daily storage.
Tennessee doesn’t impose one statewide dollar cap on the tow itself. Maximum charges depend on the rate approved for the applicable Tennessee Highway Patrol district. A verified Memphis district dollar schedule wasn’t available, so don’t rely on an unsourced local figure.
Our guide to regulated towing fees in Tennessee separates statewide limits from local charges. If another tow is needed, ask for the full total with mileage included before agreeing. Distance, vehicle size, truck type, time of day, and hookup difficulty can all affect the operator’s total.
The auction, and what happens to the money afterwards
A vehicle that isn’t reclaimed can be sold at public auction after the notice-and-reclaim process. The auction buyer receives title free and clear of earlier liens and ownership claims. Leaving the car at the yard isn’t the same as informally giving it away.
The sale also doesn’t mean every dollar automatically belongs to the storage business. If the auction produces surplus proceeds, that surplus is held for 60 days from the sale date. After that period, the money goes into a special fund.
The available source doesn’t confirm one statewide claim form for that surplus. Anyone who may have an interest should contact the selling facility promptly. Ask who holds the funds, what documents are required, and where a claim must be submitted. Get those instructions in writing before the 60-day period ends.
Lienholders matter earlier in the process too. The storage business must notify every identified lienholder, not only the registered owner. Ignoring a lender’s letters won’t stop the statutory process.
A buyer considering a tow-yard auction should verify the sale terms directly with the auctioneer. Inspection access, payment procedures, and document handling shouldn’t be assumed without published details.
If you still own the vehicle but no longer want to keep it, auction isn’t the only possible outcome. Resolve its release status first, then explore junk car and abandoned vehicle removal. Don’t arrange a move until the facility confirms that the vehicle can leave and identifies the paperwork needed.
Where the yard’s own bill has to stop growing
Tennessee places limits on how long storage charges can accumulate. Storage generally can’t be charged beyond 21 days without consent from the owner or lienholder. An exception applies when the owner was told the vehicle was ready and then refused to collect it.
Charging beyond 21 days also requires advance notice. The storage business must notify the owner and every lienholder at least 10 days before those additional charges begin.
Availability matters as much as the calendar. A facility can’t charge storage for a day when the vehicle wasn’t available for release. A law-enforcement hold is the exception. For example, an MPD criminal-investigation hold can prevent release while storage continues. Check the hold status before arranging a driver or another towing operator.
Review the bill one day at a time. Compare the first storage date, the release-availability dates, and any hold period against the amount requested. Also compare the mailing date with the three-business-day notice deadline.
Tennessee’s current towing law doesn’t confirm a standalone statewide right to an itemized invoice. You can still request one. Ask the facility to separate towing, storage, release, access, winching, and other charges. That makes it easier to identify which rule applies to each amount.
Don’t let a dispute sit unanswered. Keep copies of the notice, title or registration, photo identification, lien correspondence, payment records, and written communications. If the car came through the Memphis city lot, follow its published pickup requirements. If it came from Mississippi or Arkansas, verify that state’s process instead of applying Tennessee deadlines.
If my car is towed, can I get my stuff out?
In Memphis, unattached personal property has to be released on request unless MPD holds it. On-scene retrieval before the tow starts is unverified as Tennessee law. Detail lives on can a tow company keep my belongings. This page stays the reclaim clock.
How do you get an abandoned car towed off your property?
Tennessee defines abandoned on private property by location and time, not by expired tags. Owner-requested removal of a vehicle that is not yours to scrap lives on abandoned vehicle removal.
When to call us
Call when the yard has cleared your vehicle for release and you need a towing operator to move it. The recorded line takes calls 24/7 and matches you with a local operator who contracts with you directly. Call (901) 557-8700.