Lake County Vehicle Impound Guide

A winter storm can send a towed vehicle somewhere unexpected in Lake County. During severe weather, the Colorado State Patrol has relocated impounded cars to mass-transit parking lots or recreation centers instead of the usual tow yard, which means calling ahead before driving up the mountain to retrieve one is not optional.

Riquetti Towing & Recovery LLC, at 1800 US Highway 24 South in Leadville, handles most tows ordered by law enforcement in the county. It's a small operation, often without anyone staffing the office full time, so showing up unannounced risks finding the gate locked while the operator is out on another call or closed for lunch. Call the release line at 970-471-2434 first to schedule an exact pickup time and confirm someone will actually be there.

State-regulated rates apply regardless of which lot takes the car: a $102.28 tow fee, $48.19 for each 24-hour storage period, and a $106.06 penalty for picking the vehicle up outside normal business hours. Credit card surcharges are legal and get passed along too. Waiting for regular hours to dodge that after-hours fee only makes sense if the wait doesn't add another full day of storage first, which sometimes makes paying the penalty the cheaper option.

One right gets missed constantly: prescription medication, medical equipment, a car seat, ID, a phone, and the cash or card needed to pay the tow bill all have to come out of an impounded vehicle for free. Reach for anything else, a jacket, a laptop, tools, and the tow company can charge up to $100 an hour just for the access. Ask for the protected items by name and nothing more if the funds to cover the full bill aren't there yet.

If the driver wasn't the registered owner, getting the car released takes more than a note. Colorado requires the owner in person, or a notarized letter of authorization along with a copy of the owner's ID. A vehicle owner who wants to dispute the tow itself has 10 days to file at the Lake County Combined Court.