How to dispute a tow in Somerville
Think a tow near Somerville 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.
Somerville 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 Somerville
- 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 Somerville
In Cambridge, Somerville and Medford, a municipal impound dispute goes to the police department that ordered the tow, and a private-lot tow is measured against M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D: compliant signs at every entrance and exit, written notice to the police chief before removal, and charges no higher than the 220 CMR 272 ceiling. Cambridge posts a towed-vehicle lookup at cambridgema.gov, and in Somerville the claim check is obtained at the police station at 220 Washington Street.
Somerville runs its own impound, not the City of Boston lot, so a Boston city fee will not match here. Call the police department that ordered the tow and ask for the tow fee and the daily storage rate. A police-ordered or private-property non-consensual tow is capped by the Massachusetts DPU maximums in 220 CMR 272: up to $132 to tow within five miles, up to $4.40 a mile beyond, and up to $35 per 24 hours of storage at a lighted fenced lot or $17.50 otherwise. Those are state maximums, not a set price. Under M.G.L. c. 266 s. 120D a private-property tow taken without posted no-parking signs at every entrance and exit, or without written notice to the local police chief before removal, must be released with no removal or storage charge. In Somerville the claim check for a towed vehicle is obtained at the police station, 220 Washington Street, and a contracted company holds the car.
Somerville is the densest city in New England, and that scarcity is the whole towing story. Every legal space is spoken for, off-street parking barely exists, and residential tows, lockouts and dead batteries run constant on the tight blocks. Tufts sits on the northern edge, adding a student rhythm to the pressure. A tow here does not go to the Boston lot: the vehicle is held by a contracted company at the state DPU maximum rates, up to $132 to release and up to $35 a day storage, and you pick up the claim check at the police station, 220 Washington Street. The operator we send covers the dense streets with a truck that fits them, and points you to the Somerville process rather than the Boston one.
Common Somerville questions
How do I challenge a tow in Somerville?
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 Somerville?
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 Somerville?
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 Somerville?
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 Somerville
Disputing a tow in the rest of the Cambridge & Somerville area
Need your car towed once it's released in Somerville?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can line up an operator the moment it clears.