Delayed tow notifications let storage fees exceed the car's value before owners even know

Most states allow tow companies 5-21 days to notify a vehicle owner by mail that their car has been towed, during which storage fees accrue at $50-$85/day. A car towed in Texas may not trigger a notification until day 5 (in-state) or day 14 (out-of-state), racking up $425-$1,190 in storage before the owner even receives a letter. For older vehicles worth $2,000-$4,000, two weeks of storage can approach or exceed the car's value, at which point the owner abandons it and the tow company profits again through a lien sale. This persists because notification deadlines were written to accommodate postal mail logistics, not to protect consumers, and tow companies have zero financial incentive to notify faster.