Drivers risk cars being towed & $175 in fees as new February law brings harsh penalties for breaking time limits

Drivers who park in a well-known downtown location will soon be subject to harsher penalties for tardiness.

In addition to having their vehicles towed, drivers will also have to pay a minimum fine of $175 to have them retrieved.

Drivers in Dublin, Georgia, which is roughly 120 miles southeast of Atlanta, will be subject to a $175 fine starting in February if they park in any of the 20 spots along a main thoroughfare downtown for more than two hours.

The Downtown Development Authority posted two-hour parking rule signs at the parking lots it oversees a year prior to the draconian ordinance.

However, since then, the neighborhood has seen a significant increase in traffic due to the opening of 11 new enterprises.

The group has now decided to start towing cars that linger longer than the allotted two hours.

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DDA Executive Director Glenda Berry informed The Courier Herald that some drivers have parked their cars in these 20 designated spots behind Deano’s, Saltwater Fishery, and Moe’s on Madison for longer than the recommended two-hour restriction throughout the year.

Because of this, the DDA recently approved imposing a ban on cars parked there for more than two hours. Sometime in early 2025, this new regulation will go into effect.

Rob Miller, chairman of the Downtown Dublin Board of Directors, clarified that signage alerting the public to the new parking regulations will be erected prior to any cars being removed.

This is to ensure that everyone is informed of the modifications prior to the rule’s implementation.

Police and private property owners are legally permitted to tow automobiles that are either improperly parked or abandoned, according to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

In the event that a passenger car is towed to an impound lot in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Public Safety will impose a notice fee in addition to a removal cost of $175.

The Nonconsensual Towing Maximum Rate Tariff imposed by the Georgia Tax Commission regulates towing costs.

The towed vehicle’s storage costs, however, won’t begin to mount until after the vehicle has been kept in storage for a full day.

When a storage facility is closed or otherwise unavailable for you to pick up your vehicle, they are not allowed to charge you storage costs.

While we are choosing the towing firm we will work with, we are considering installing a security camera as an extra measure of enforcement. They will also install more signage, Berry stated.

What to do if your car is towed

Whether done correctly or not, getting a towed car back can be difficult.

There are a few procedures to follow if your car is towed after you parked in a “No Parking” area or for any other justifiable reason.

Steps to take when your car is towed:

• Try to figure out why your car was towed. Did you not see a posted “No Parking” sign? Did you miss a car payment? Did you return to a lot where you have unpaid citations? Finding the reason can narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
• Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some form of contact information via a posted sign or sent by mail.
• Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but those times will be posted to the website or can be recited by a representative.
• Pay the fees. Be careful to be as prompt as possible, as some tow yards may charge storage fees by the day.

You can challenge the action by taking the following actions if you believe your car was wrongfully towed:

• Be prompt – many states have a small window of time where it’s acceptable to file a complaint against a company that wrongfully towed the vehicle.
• Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
• Get familiar with your local laws, as laws for towing companies vary per state.
• Try speaking with the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly.
• Contact the Justice of the Peace in your area, as they may have more insight or resources to help. They are often utilized for towing cases.
• Talk to a lawyer. Many lawyers have free case consultations, and depending on the case, it may be worth it to utilize a lawyer.

Source: National General, Oregon Department of Justice, and Rak Law Firm

The rules will be enforced from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

However, locals have complained about the scarcity of parking spots.

“More parking is absolutely needed. Olivia Flanders, a boutique manager in downtown Dublin, stated, “I think we could use more parking, even though we have some across the street.”

“For me though, as an employee downtown, maybe if they have like parking passes or something that we can put in our cars in case other people park in our spots.”

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“I don’t wanna be at work and then go outside and my car be towed,” Flanders stated.

This situation has made it difficult for locals, especially during lunchtime, when parking becomes a bigger issue.