Erath County Vehicle Impound Guide

A car towed at 11 p.m. and picked up at 9 the next morning has technically sat on the lot across two calendar days, and plenty of storage facilities will bill for two days of storage on that basis. Texas rules say otherwise: if the total time on the lot is under 12 hours, even crossing midnight, the facility can only charge for one day. Lots miscalculate this constantly, so checking the invoice against the actual drop-off and pickup times before paying is worth the few minutes it takes.

Finding the car

Most law enforcement tows in the Stephenville area go to Lightnin Wrecker on North Highway 281, though the arresting officer decides the specific lot at the time of the tow, and overflow occasionally goes to Eagle Towing & Wrecker Service or Summit Towing instead. To find out where a specific vehicle landed, call the Stephenville Police Records Division on weekdays or the Erath County Sheriff's dispatch line, which runs 24/7.

Only the owner gets the car back

A Vehicle Storage Facility can't release a car to anyone but the registered owner without documentation. If the driver wasn't the owner, the actual owner needs to show up with valid ID and proof of ownership, or provide a notarized power of attorney authorizing someone else to collect it. Texas law explicitly bars a VSF from demanding proof of insurance as a condition of release, so that's not a legitimate reason for a lot to hold a car.

What it costs

State caps run $272 for a light-duty tow and $22.85 a day for storage on a vehicle 25 feet or under, plus a $50 one-time administrative fee for the required notification letters. Payment by cash, debit, or credit is accepted. Anyone needing to retrieve personal property or ownership documents from the car has an absolute right to do so without paying any fee first.

Challenging the tow

A defendant who believes the vehicle was seized without probable cause, or that fees ran over the state cap, can request a hearing at the Justice of the Peace court, Precincts 1, 3, or 4, at the Donald R. Jones Justice Center. The deadline is 14 business days from when the towing company provides the required ownership information, filing costs $41, and the burden of proof falls on the vehicle owner — win, and the court can order reimbursement of towing fees, court costs, and even attorney's fees.

The forfeiture risk that outlasts the tow

For repeat felony DWI or intoxication manslaughter, the state can pursue civil forfeiture to permanently seize the vehicle used in the offense, a separate and more serious threat than ordinary impound fees. Getting the car retrieved quickly and getting a lawyer involved immediately matters more in those cases than in a routine first-offense tow.