Title Transfer, Registration and Towing Impound

My question involves a towing from the state of: California

Purchased a Toy Hauler Trailer from private party on 10/13. Parked on street in front of new home with move in date 10/01. Temecula cops towed/impounded Trailer on 10/17 for registration. Towing company charging $500 because they are saying it took 2 tow trucks to tow a trailer that my piddly f150 can tow. Tow company is charging $55 a day for storage. City of Temecula wants $124 for release form. Question: I thought in Californian citizens have 10 days to register/transfer title to new vehicle? The trailer was registered at DMV on 10/22. I also did not want to operate it on the road until it was legally registered in my name. Once registered I planned to store it because storage facilities will not take responsibility for it until legally in my name.

If I have within 10 days per California Law to register a newly purchased vehicle, then how come even after trying to follow the law, I can still be towed, have to pay exorbitant BS tow fees and further some $124 City of Temecula Ransom to get my impounded trailer out? For god sakes is this what our City and LEO agencies have become because they cannot manage their own fiscal operations?

This certainly seems very unfair to citizens! My god it's not like I waited 6 months to get the trailer title transferred!

City of Temecula & Sheriff Dept....No wonder people have lost so much respect for law enforcement and their city officials!

You appear to be treating two separate issues as if they're the same: How long you have after purchase to register a vehicle, and whether or not it's lawful in your community to park an unregistered vehicle in the street.

I expect that if you look up the ordinance violation identified by the police, you will find that the issue is the latter - that you can take the full ten days to register the trailer, if you choose, but until you complete the registration process you're not permitted to park the trailer on a public street. Also, note that many municipalities limit the amount of time you can park on a street without moving a vehicle - often 72 hours.

What ordinance number was referenced in relation to the tow and impound?

Im not sure why you would say that I am treating this as 2 separate issues?

Any lay person who purchases 'a' type of vehicle in the state of california concerns themselves with following the state law and would see this as one entire process of abiding by the law.

How does a person purchase a vehicle that is larger than a car, in California and register it without having it towed?

If there are ordinances that do not allow you to park in your front yard/driveway, Where do you park a trailer that has been recently purchased that is NOT titled in your own name, yet still is within the 10 day grace period to register it in your name?

The ordinance description that was referenced was that the trailer was not registered. I have not been given any documents or paperwork (such as a citation) that references any ordinance violation. I have only been verbally told by a dispatcher and towing company about the information I have provided within this thread.

The trailer has been registered within 10 days.

So, where does a person park a trailer that has been recently been purchased, still within the 10 day state law grace period to register it?

Even 'out of state' registrars get (20) days to register.

:wallbang:

However, do to what I am reading from your response, that does not matter, because they are still on public streets illegally until they get their out of state plates changed.

The problem is that Cops,(:anonymous:):disillusionment: are all simply revenue generators for the City these days....And the Cities could care less about their citizens, because if they did, these types of scenarios would not occurr.

This is why many law abiding citizens lose faith in the system and circumvent it at opportunities that present themselves, because even a citizen who abides by the law still get bent over!

And lets be even more realistic here...It's all about the money....Everyone knows that municipality oridinances are written in the most general form to garner code violation, revenue streams. Especially in a situation such as this, where a citizen is trying to register a different type of vehicle.

Keep drinking the KoolAid doled out to you. :rolleyes:

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Quoting flippinwacko

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My question involves a towing from the state of: California

Purchased a Toy Hauler Trailer from private party on 10/13. Parked on street in front of new home with move in date 10/01. Temecula cops towed/impounded Trailer on 10/17 for registration.

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That means that unless it was parked otherwise unlawfully that the registration had been expired for 6 months or more (VC 22651(o)).

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Towing company charging $500 because they are saying it took 2 tow trucks to tow a trailer that my piddly f150 can tow. Tow company is charging $55 a day for storage. City of Temecula wants $124 for release form.

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Pretty standard, though no less frustrating.

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Question: I thought in Californian citizens have 10 days to register/transfer title to new vehicle?

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That time is to transfer it into your name. But, unless you have a temporary registration, the purchase does not automatically give you a right to operate it on the public streets.

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The trailer was registered at DMV on 10/22. I also did not want to operate it on the road until it was legally registered in my name. Once registered I planned to store it because storage facilities will not take responsibility for it until legally in my name.

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Unfortunately for you, it was parked on the public street.

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City of Temecula & Sheriff Dept....No wonder people have lost so much respect for law enforcement and their city officials!

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Talk to the city officials about the fees, and the state legislature about the law. The city did not create the Vehicle Code.

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Quoting flippinwacko

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Any lay person who purchases 'a' type of vehicle in the state of california concerns themselves with following the state law and would see this as one entire process of abiding by the law.

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When I buy a used vehicle I make sure that the vehicle is legally registered. In fact, before the transfer can take place it must be.

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How does a person purchase a vehicle that is larger than a car, in California and register it without having it towed?

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You buy one that is already registered.

If you get one from auction, you can usually purchase a day pass for the transfer of the vehicle or you arreange a tow ... if the vehicle is not legally registered. Was there a temporary registration of any kind on the trailer at the time of the tow?

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If there are ordinances that do not allow you to park in your front yard/driveway, Where do you park a trailer that has been recently purchased that is NOT titled in your own name, yet still is within the 10 day grace period to register it in your name?

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I suppose you'd have to find a storage facility. That's the problem with many trailers and fifth wheels - some cities do not allow them to be parked in yards or driveways - or in front of residences on the street even if legally registered.

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The ordinance description that was referenced was that the trailer was not registered.

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Which is a violation of VC 4000(a). The impound was likely made pursuant to VC 22651(o) for being expired by more than 6 months.

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I have not been given any documents or paperwork (such as a citation) that references any ordinance violation. I have only been verbally told by a dispatcher and towing company about the information I have provided within this thread.

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The tow company should have the impound form (likely a form referred to as a "CHP 180").

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However, do to what I am reading from your response, that does not matter, because they are still on public streets illegally until they get their out of state plates changed.

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If out of state, but still legally registered, then you would be correct. if this is the case, then you might want to immediately request a post-storage hearing from the police or towing authority. They must provide that hearing within 48 hours.

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The problem is that Cops,(:anonymous:):disillusionment: are all simply revenue generators for the City these days....And the Cities could care less about their citizens, because if they did, these types of scenarios would not occurr.

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The city makes NO money on this. The $124 is to reimburse the costs to the city of the tow. The rest of the money goes to the tow company. While it might be possible that the city gets a portion of that every quarter or year, it still does not change the law. The officers do NOT go around going, "Ooh! There's a cool hundred for the city, let's tow that!" Usually their attention is brought about as the result of a radio call by a complaining party. Sometimes, if they have discretionary time, they may look for these things. Often, no.

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And lets be even more realistic here...It's all about the money....Everyone knows that municipality oridinances are written in the most general form to garner code violation, revenue streams. Especially in a situation such as this, where a citizen is trying to register a different type of vehicle.

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Complain to your state legislator in Sacramento - he and his fellows created the statutes, not the city.

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Quoting flippinwacko

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Im not sure why you would say that I am treating this as 2 separate issues?

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Because there is no 10 day grace period for expired regitration in California. The 10 days you're speaking of is the time period you're allowed to transfer title of a vehicle/trailer you purchased from someone else!

Vehicle Code section 5017
(d) The application for transfer of ownership of a vehicle with a trailer plate or permanent trailer identification plate shall be made within 10 days of sale of the vehicle. The permanent trailer identification certificate is not a certificate of ownership as described in Section 38076.

You have 10 days to change your address if you move...

Vehicle Code section 4159.

Whenever any person after making application for the registration of a vehicle required to be registered under this code, or after obtaining registration either as owner or legal owner, moves or acquires a new address different from the address shown in the application or upon the certificate of ownership or registration card, such person shall, within 10 days thereafter, notify the department of his old and new address.

Vehicle Code section 4160.

Any registered owner of a vehicle who moves or acquires a new address different from the address shown upon the registration card issued for the vehicle shall within 10 days mark out the former address shown on the face of the card and with pen and ink write or type the new address on the face of the card immediately below the former address with the initials of the registered owner.

But you don't have a 10 day grace period for paying the registration fees:

Vehicle Code section 4000.

(a) (1) A person shall not drive, move, or leave standing upon a highway, or in an offstreet public parking facility, any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole or pipe dolly, or logging dolly, unless it is registered and the appropriate fees have been paid under this code or registered under the permanent trailer identification program, except that an off-highway motor vehicle which displays an identification plate or device issued by the department pursuant to Section 38010 may be driven, moved, or left standing in an offstreet public parking facility without being registered or paying registration fees.

You can read the entire code section HERE.



You can also go to this page (click here) and scroll down to the paragraph starting with "Paying Late"

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Paying Late

CALIFORNIA HAS NO GRACE PERIOD.

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Quoting flippinwacko

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How does a person purchase a vehicle that is larger than a car, in California and register it without having it towed?

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You can use your piddly F-150 to tow it...

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Quoting flippinwacko

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If there are ordinances that do not allow you to park in your front yard/driveway, Where do you park a trailer that has been recently purchased that is NOT titled in your own name,

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Is this a hint to another reason why your trailer was towed? (See bellow)

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Quoting flippinwacko

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The trailer has been registered within 10 days.

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Good for you. Now you need to run over to the towing yard and get it out otherwise, they're adding on charges by the day!

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Quoting flippinwacko

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Even 'out of state' registrars get (20) days to register.

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Out of state vehicle owners have their original state's registration that has to be current. Otherwise they're in violation as well!




Unless that registration was expired for 6 months or longer, I'm thinking that was not the reason for the tow. Instead, it appears that Temecula has an ordinance prohibiting the parking of oversized vehicles within city limits.

10.16.042 Prohibition of oversized vehicles being parked on city streets— Exceptions.

A. No person shall park or leave standing upon any residential public street, highway, or right-of-way within the city limits of the city of Temecula any of the following:

1. Motor vehicles and motor vehicles with an attached trailer or nonmotorized vehicle, of a length, or combined length, in excess of twenty feet, or a height in excess of eight feet, or a width in excess of ninety inches, which width is measured from the widest portion of the body of the motor vehicle or attached trailer or nonmotorized vehicle, not including mirrors;

2. Motor vehicles of a weight in excess of ten thousand pounds;

3. Motor vehicles and vehicles used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation or profit, and designed and used, or maintained for the transportation of property, including, but not limited to, buses, motor trucks, trailers, semitrailers, trailer coaches or truck tractors as defined in the Vehicle Code and similar vehicles with a width in excess of ninety inches as measured at the widest portion of the body not including mirrors; or

4. A nonmotorized vehicle (including, but not limited to, a trailer, camper trailer, boat/watercraft trailer, farm machinery, construction equipment or other nonmotorized vehicle), regardless of length or width, when it has been detached from a motor vehicle.

B. The prohibitions described in subsection (A) of this section shall not apply to motor vehicles and vehicles which are:

1. Engaged in the loading or unloading of persons and/or property;

2. Parked in connection with, or in the aid of the performance of a service to or on a property in the block in which such vehicle is parked; or

3. Parked or left standing as a result of a mechanical break down so as to allow the performance of emergency repairs on the vehicle for a period not to exceed twenty-four consecutive hours; or

4. Parked or left standing as allowed by a permit issued by the city pursuant to procedures established by the city manager, provided however that no address within the city shall be issued a permit for more than three calendar days at a time, four times within a calendar year, for a maximum of twelve calendar days per calendar year.

C. As used in this section, “residential public street, highway, or right-of-way” means the full width of a public street, highway or right-of-way which is located within, or adjacent to, a residential zone as defined in Title 17 of the Temecula Municipal Code. (Ord. 98-08 § 1: Ord. 98-09 § 1)

Here is Temecula's entire Municipal Code, and you'll find Title 10 which covers Vehicles And Traffic

I don't see any authority to remove based upon the Muni code - only to cite. And to impound for unlawful parking, signs must be posted (10.16.150).

I still believe that the reason for the tow was 22651(o) ... if not, then the city may eat the costs if the OP takes advantage of the post storage hearing.

While he did mention:

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Quoting flippinwacko

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The ordinance description that was referenced was that the trailer was not registered.

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Yet I could not find an "ordinance" related to that. Although it could clearly be VC 22651(o) as you stated.

It could also be a violation of the 72 hours ordinance under 10.16.040

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Quoting flippinwacko

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Purchased a Toy Hauler Trailer from private party on 10/13. Parked on street .... Temecula cops towed/impounded Trailer on 10/17

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^that^ 4 days oughta fit the bill!

10.16.040 Use of streets for storage of vehicles prohibited.

A. No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than a consecutive period of seventy-two hours.

B. In the event a vehicle is parked or left standing upon a street in excess of a consecutive period of seventy-two hours, any member of the police department authorized by the chief of police may remove the vehicle from the street in the manner and subject to the requirements of the Vehicle Code. (Ord. 91-16 § 2 (12.08.204))

I am simply trying to find reason for his questions about:

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Quoting flippinwacko

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If there are ordinances that do not allow you to park in your front yard/driveway, Where do you park a trailer that has been recently purchased that is NOT titled in your own name...
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So, where does a person park a trailer that has been recently been purchased...

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At least now he knows his options, the rest is up to him!

If it was impounded for being left standing, it still falls under the CVC - 22651(k). The ordinance allowing removal simply gives the city/agency the authority to impound per that section of the CVC. Though, if the out of state registration was current, that might explain it.

Ultimately, the reason for the impound will be indicated on the CHP-180 form that the impounding agency AND the tow company will possess.

You are expected to only purchase vehicles that you can legally store. If you do not have storage, you must obtain proper storage. Covenants on my property only allow for up to a 3/4 pickup and only trailers attached to a tow vehicle. If I violate the restrictions I can be fined also. I know this does not make this any easier, however, the laws are there to protect you from your neighbors also.