Leaving a car at a Pennsylvania tow yard does not pause the bill. Storage is charged every day the vehicle sits. For an abandoned-vehicle case, Title 75 §7305 gives the owner or lienholder 30 days to reclaim after mailed notice. A Philadelphia Parking Authority parking tow is a different clock. That car is meant to be picked up as soon as you can pay. Mixing those two clocks is how people lose weeks.
First confirm who actually has the car
Philadelphia runs three towing regimes, and they do not share a yard.
If PPA towed it in Center City, University City, or a commercial corridor, it’s at a PPA lot. Look it up at findmytowedcar.org or call 888-591-3636. Published lots with phones:
- Lot 1, 2501 Weccacoe Ave, (215) 683-9550
- Lot 6, 4701 Bath Street, (215) 683-9510
- Lot 10, 6 E. Oregon Avenue, (215) 683-9601
PPA uses more lots than these three. Confirm the lot on the lookup before you drive.
A township impound in Upper Darby, Norristown, Bensalem, or West Chester is not a PPA lot. Each municipality sets its own fee. Title 75 §3352 caps storage at $25 a day only if that town has set no rate.
A private-property tow follows 73 P.S. §1971 and, inside the city, Philadelphia Code 9-605. That car sits at the operator’s storage facility, not a city lot.
Quick Tow Philadelphia is a referral service. We do not run a yard. We cannot waive lot fees, suburban admin charges, or a private operator’s bill.
PPA storage keeps adding while you wait
For a passenger car under 11,000 pounds, PPA publishes storage at $25 per 24 hours plus 22.5% tax. That is PPA’s figure, not our price. Heavier bands pay more. The under-11,000 schedule is the one most drivers meet.
The 30-day figure is not a free month at a PPA lot. A parking tow accrues storage daily. Pick it up as soon as you can pay. Do not treat §7305 as a Parking Authority holiday.
If the released car cannot be driven, we can line up an operator for a separate haul. That price is quoted before dispatch. Call (610) 557-1544 or use /contact/.
The 30-day reclaim is the salvor clock
Title 75 §§7301-7308 cover abandoned vehicles and the PennDOT salvor process. Police investigate a reported-abandoned vehicle within 5 business days. They remove it within 10 business days. The salvor files a report to PennDOT within 48 hours.
§7305 then gives the owner or lienholder 30 days to reclaim after mailed notice. That is a reclaim window after notice. It is not a punitive 30-day DUI lockup.
If notice went to an old address, you can lose days you never saw. Check the mailed date with the yard. After that window, the salvor process continues under the same chapter. This page doesn’t publish an auction date or scrap rule that couldn’t be confirmed. Ask the yard and PennDOT what status the vehicle has now.
Kensington and Fairhill see a real abandoned-vehicle pattern. The same Title 75 clocks still apply there. Reporting a neighbor’s wreck is a police matter, not a job this brand performs.
Fees this brand cannot touch
PPA boot, tow, and storage charges belong to PPA. Suburban administrative fees belong to that municipality. Private-yard charges belong to that operator under 73 P.S. §1971. We cannot discount any of those bills.
What we can do is connect you with a licensed operator after the car is released, if it still cannot move. See junk car removal if keeping it no longer makes sense. See emergency towing if you need it hauled from the lot to a shop.
Act 46 of 2026 adds statewide towing standards. It is not in force until December 17, 2026. Until then, use the statutes above.
Frequently asked questions
Does a car sit for 30 days at a PPA lot for free?
No. PPA storage is $25 per 24 hours plus 22.5% tax for a vehicle under 11,000 pounds. The 30-day clock is the Title 75 §7305 reclaim window after mailed notice in the abandoned-vehicle process.
Can Quick Tow Philadelphia waive the yard’s fees?
No. We are a referral service. We do not run PPA lots or suburban yards, and we cannot waive those charges.
What if the car is in Upper Darby or Norristown?
That is a suburban municipal impound, not the PPA schedule. Ask that township for its rate. Section 3352’s $25 a day cap applies only if the municipality has set no rate.
What should I bring to pick the car up?
Bring photo ID and proof of ownership, then ask the lot what else it requires. A published PPA document checklist could not be confirmed for this page.
When to call us
Call when you have decided the car is yours to give up, or when the released car still needs a tow to a shop. We don’t waive yard fees and we don’t run the lots. The line takes calls 24/7. Calls are recorded after a notice. Call the line at (610) 557-1544, or write through /contact/.