My Car has been Towed in Annecy. What do I do? Panic? Cry?

Your car has been towed whilst in France and you have no idea what to do. This article explains how to deal with this rather inconvenient and problematic situation.

What to do when your car has been towed in Annecy

To have this happen in your 'home' country can be a headache but when it happens in a country where English isn't your main language, you know it's not going to be easy. But wait, don't despair, it is in fact quite simple to resolve, it's just a case of acquiring knowledge. When my car got towed in Annecy, this is what I did....

1) I started by contacting the police station nearest to where the car was parked. The police should be able to tell you where you need to go to recuperate your car. Except.....if it's a Sunday, as in my case, and the police station was closed. When I phoned I got an automated voice message asking me to call back during opening hours!

Not wanting to give up, I spoke with a local traffic warden, otherwise known as an ASVP (Agent de Surveillance de la Voie Publique) who kindly made a call and subsequently was able to tell me where I needed to go to collect my car first thing Monday morning. (This is usually at a local garage with a car pound or fourrière next to it).

2) Before going to get your car, make sure you have all the required documentation with you; car insurance, proof of the car registration, the current MOT and your driving licence.

3) When you arrive at the garage, the manager will call the police to come and check your car documentation before releasing the car! This was a surprise to me as I never knew that the police would be involved in an administrative process such as this nor that they actually have the time for such an intervention. They actually arrived pretty quickly, within 10-15 mins but I'm sure this may not always be the case so be prepared to wait.

4) The police ensure that your MOT is up to date, the car is registered in your name and that you have proof of insurance, only then will the police sign the car to be released.

5) Once all the checks have been done, you pay the bill which includes the cost of actually towing the car and a charge for each day that it is kept at the garage. In my case it was roughly €100 towing fee and €5 per day parking fee. With tax on top the final bill was just over €145. Once the payment has been verified, you can pick up your car.

Tip! They wouldn't accept a cheque (I guess they've had their fingers burnt with that), only card or cash.

The moral of the story? Aside from not leaving your car where it shouldn't be, in certain instances, the French can be efficient. Even though this was un unpleasant thing to have to go through, resolving it was actually quite straightforward.

I hope this doesn't happen to you but should you need help or advice on any of the above or simply need someone to help you contact the police or garage, feel free to contact me.

À bientôt....

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