Medina County Vehicle Impound Guide

Jon's Towing & Recovery, at 940 West Liberty Street in Medina, releases vehicles strictly by appointment — call at least an hour ahead to confirm staff availability and that release paperwork, including any court journal entry, has actually been processed. Showing up with cash in hand and no phone call first accomplishes nothing.

The lot is closed Sundays entirely. A vehicle towed late Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday morning sits untouched until Monday, guaranteeing a minimum of two days' storage fees before the owner can even start the retrieval process.

Payment is cash only, with alternatives granted solely at management's discretion. Coming up with several hundred dollars in physical cash on a weekend, or immediately after release from jail, often means leaning on family members who have easier access to a bank.

Who Can Actually Pick Up the Car

The vehicle only goes to its legally registered owner. If the driver wasn't the owner — a borrowed or leased car — the actual owner needs to show up in person with photo ID and proof of ownership. If they can't be there, they need a notarized Authorization of Release form, and it has to be the original physical document. Photocopies and digital scans are rejected outright.

First Offense vs. Repeat Offense: a Real Legal Distinction

Ohio Revised Code 4511.195 does not authorize police to seize and immobilize a vehicle just because of a first-offense OVI. If an officer improperly impounds a vehicle that was lawfully parked, say in a private driveway, the municipal court must order it returned, and the police department's own political subdivision is on the hook for the towing and storage costs, not the defendant.

That changes sharply on a second offense within ten years: the vehicle gets immobilized for 90 days and its plates impounded, with no driving, selling, or transferring during that window. A judge can carve out a narrow hardship exception if a family member depends on that specific vehicle for basic necessities, but even then the car gets restricted yellow plates and the defendant is barred from driving it. A third offense within ten years means permanent forfeiture to the state — a penalty the Ohio Supreme Court upheld in a Medina County case involving a $31,000 truck, ruling it didn't amount to an unconstitutionally excessive fine.