How to dispute a tow in Dorchester
Think a tow near Dorchester was wrong? Massachusetts gives you a real path to challenge it, but which route you take depends on who towed the car.
What Massachusetts law says
There are two separate routes to challenge a tow in Massachusetts, and using the wrong one wastes time. If a car was taken from private property, the standard is M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D: the lot must post signs at every entrance and exit, the owner must notify the local police chief in writing before removal, and the company may charge only the 220 CMR 272 rates. Miss any of those and the vehicle must be released with no charge. If a city or town impounded the car, the dispute goes to the department that ordered the tow. Work out which happened first, because a public-street tow and a private-lot tow answer to different rules.
Dorchester sits outside Massachusetts, so a different state's impound and towing rules apply here instead of the Massachusetts law above. Call the line and the operator who takes the job can walk you through what's different for your vehicle.
How it works in Dorchester
- 1 Work out who towed it
A city or town impound and a private-property tow have different rules and different places to complain. Getting this wrong is the most common reason a challenge goes nowhere.
- 2 For a private-lot tow, photograph the signs
Under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D the lot must post signs at every entrance and exit. Photograph the lot, including any missing signs, before anything changes.
- 3 Check the written notice to police
The property owner must notify the local police chief in writing before removal. Ask the department whether that notice was given.
- 4 Check the charge against the ceiling
The company may charge only the 220 CMR 272 rates: up to $132 for a base tow within five miles and up to $35 per 24 hours of storage. Anything higher is not allowed.
- 5 Use the free-release remedy
If the company failed any provision, the statute says the vehicle must be released with no towing or storage charge. Keep your evidence.
- 6 File it with the right body
A private-lot rate or licensing complaint goes to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. A city or town impound dispute goes to the department that ordered the tow.
What this looks like around Dorchester
Inside Boston, around Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and the other neighborhoods, a city tow is disputed with the City of Boston, which you reach at 617-635-3900, while a car taken from a private lot is measured against M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D and the 220 CMR 272 rate ceiling. Photograph the lot and any signs before anything changes.
A Dorchester tow inside the city goes to the City of Boston lot at 200 Frontage Road. Look it up at cityofboston.gov/towing/search, entering three characters of the plate, which covers the past 15 days, or call 617-635-3900, and 617-343-4629 if you do not know your plate. The city fee is $90 to tow and $3 per hour of storage up to $15 per day. To release it you need a valid driver's license, your license plate number, proof of active registration and proof of insurance, and the city takes cash, a money order, a cashier's check or a debit or credit card with a 2.5% fee on cards. The lot is staffed Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM, with automated kiosks around the clock. A street-cleaning tow is different: a private company holds the car at its own lot and charges $108 plus $35 per day, so confirm which kind of tow it was. On a snow-emergency day a Dorchester car parked on a posted artery is towed, so check the lookup and whether a snow emergency was declared.
Dorchester is Boston's largest neighborhood, about 126,000 people, and it stretches from the I-93 approach to the harbor. Morrissey Boulevard is its coastal spine, and it is one of the spots that goes under on a king tide, of which the city sees about 15 a year, so a car left low on Morrissey can end up sitting in salt water. UMass Boston sits out on Columbia Point, adding a campus rhythm of move-in, events and student turnover. Away from the water the neighborhood is dense triple-deckers with permit parking and tight blocks, which keeps residential tows, lockouts and dead batteries steady. A city tow goes to 200 Frontage Road, released at $90 plus $3 an hour up to $15 a day, with the plate lookup at cityofboston.gov/towing/search. The operator we send covers the I-93 breakdown and the flooded-street recovery both.
Common Dorchester questions
How do I challenge a tow in Dorchester?
First work out who towed it. A private-property tow is measured against M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D, so check the signs at every entrance and exit, the written notice to the police chief, and the 220 CMR 272 rate. A city or town impound dispute goes to the department that ordered the tow.
What if the lot had no signs in Dorchester?
Under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D a lot must post signs at every entrance and exit. If the signs were missing, the removal was not lawful and the vehicle must be released with no charge. Photograph the lot before anything is changed.
What if the tow company overcharged in Dorchester?
The company may charge only the state Department of Public Utilities rates in 220 CMR 272: up to $132 for a base tow within five miles and up to $35 per 24 hours of storage. A charge above the ceiling is not allowed, and you can raise it with the DPU.
Can Quick Tow Boston settle my tow dispute in Dorchester?
No. We are not the towing company, the town or the DPU, and we have no standing in your dispute. We can tell you which route applies and line up an operator once the car is released. Call (857) 858-5057.
Related help for Dorchester
Disputing a tow in the rest of the Boston Neighborhoods area
Need your car towed once it's released in Dorchester?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.