How To Get Back A Car Which Has Been Towed Away
Very recently, a reader inquired, how was he to get back his car which has been towed away. Firstly, be it be known, towing of cars, parked on towns and cities, are under the jurisdiction of the local authorities.
Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ)controls the daily affairs of Petaling Jaya. Likewise the Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK) is responsible for running the affairs in Klang town.
Using the above two examples, Petaling Jaya and Klang, both these two local councils are said to be governed with the assistance of the Local Council Acts. Without this act, the local council cannot function.
Under the above act, parking in the town or city areas, comes under the council’s purview. As drivers, if we assume that the Police and the J.P.J. are the only 2 authorities that can summon us, then we are totally wrong.
Even local councils can in fact summon us. This is the law which prevails in Malaysia.
Two years ago, my son, who was then working in Petaling Jaya, used to be summoned for illegal parking by the MBSJ. Ignoring the 5 -6 summons received, finally led the legal advisor of the traffic department of MBSJ to finally seek legal action against us.
The above issue was finally resolved by my visit to MBSJ headquarters to settle the outstanding amount owed.
Now that readers are aware that local councils can indeed issue summons and at the same time also tow away a vehicle which has been parked illegally, we arrived now at the juncture to answer the question of “how to get back a vehicle which has been towed away”.
The first thing one should do is to determine what has happened to your car or vehicle. It could either be stolen or could be towed away by the local authorities people, say the MBSJ.
The next thing you should do, is to go to the nearest police station. The police would be able to contact the local authorities to ascertain if your vehicle has been towed away by them or otherwise.
More often than not, if you have indeed parked your vehicle illegally, then your car would most probably have been towed away.
The police will then be informed by the local authority concerned, where you can retrieve your vehicle. Normally, you car or vehicle would have been detained at the H.Q of the MBPJ or local council. You will then have to go to the above place mentioned.
Besides that, you will most certainly be issued with a summons. In most cases, the wheel of your vehicle will be chained up.
By setting your fine or summons, you will then be permitted to get back your vehicle. To get back your vehicle, you have to prove ownership. So do bring you Registration Card.
You as a driver, may disagree with the idea of your vehicle being towed away. To you, it may seem to be a hassle. You may feel the local authority shouldn’t have resorted to such actions.
But, have a thought for the local authorities actions. Parking in large cities like Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya is a major headache. Unless the local authorities resort to such drastic actions, believe me, there will be a major problem on their hands.
So the next time you are looking for a place to park your vehicle, do ponder a bit. Ask yourself, could my car be towed away if I should park there?
Think about the hassle you would have to go through should it be towed away by the MBPJ or MPK. As to my knowledge, the MPK does not tow away vehicles.
Having explained in rather detail pertaining to how to get back your vehicle which has been towed away, it is hoped drivers who face this predicament will now know what to do if such a problem should arise.
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