Car towed from private property in Midtown

Tennessee doesn't cap a private-property tow fee by statute the way some states do, and Memphis's own wrecker rules don't publish a dollar figure for on-scene towing either, so don't trust a site that quotes you one. What state law does require is authorization. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-16-112, a garagekeeper or towing firm has to get express written authorization before towing or storing a vehicle, from a law-enforcement officer with jurisdiction, the vehicle owner, or the property owner or their authorized agent for a private-property tow, with the required contents defined by reference to § 66-19-103(d). Skip that step and it's a Class C misdemeanor, on top of whatever else follows. Separately, § 55-16-111 sets a baseline waiting period: a vehicle generally can't be towed without the owner's authorization until 12 hours have passed since it was first observed immobile or unattended, unless it's creating a hazard, blocking access, or parked illegally, any of which allows an immediate tow. Inside Memphis city limits specifically, the City's own Wrecker Rules and Regulations add that a private-property tow needs written authorization naming who authorized it, the vehicle's year, make, model, and color, the reason for the tow, and the plate number and VIN where they're known, and a company that tows without it owes the same remedy as one caught overcharging: reimburse everything paid, or release the car for free. One claim worth flagging rather than repeating: a Tennessee tow-away signage requirement, the kind some states mandate at every lot entrance, doesn't appear confirmed in the statute text we could verify, so don't assume a posted sign is required here the way it might be somewhere else. If something about your tow feels off, the City's Permits Administrator and Wrecker Coordinator takes complaints at (901) 636-6735 or permits@memphistn.gov. Quick Tow Memphis is a private tow company, not the lot holding your car. We can't waive fees the lot sets, but we can help with transport once it's released.