Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


How to Redeem Your Towed Car from Dumbo

February 15th, 2008

Brooklyn Tow Pound

So your car got towed in Dumbo? I realize that this may not apply to a lot of people in Dumbo, a neighborhood that’s promoting environmental responsibility and green-ness, but I’ve received enough emails about towed cars and where to go that I’ll post a recent experience. I have a car, but only drive on weekends, so I park on the street. I’ve never had any problems finding parking but occasionally I forget to move the car on no parking days.

For the first time, my car was towed last week, and found that all cars towed in Brooklyn go to the Brooklyn Tow Pound in Vinegar Hill on the corner of Sands and Navy Street (thank god it’s so close!). It’s a 10 minute walk from Dumbo. You’ll need any outstanding tickets paid before you can redeem your car. Bring your registration and current insurance card. If it’s in your car, they will allow you to get it. Once you get to the pound, (go early when there’s no line), pay your tow fee ($185 plus $20 per day) and you’re on your way. It was much easier than I had anticipated. I just have to remember to move the car next time. Anyone have other experiences to share?

Brooklyn Navy Yard; corner of Sands St. & Navy St.
Tel: 718-694-0696
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm; Sat 8am-4pm; Sun 12pm-8pm
[UPDATE: 23-Feb-2009; a reader informed us that the pound was closed on Sunday, despite what the NYC website states. Call the location before you make the trip out.]

{How to Redeem Your Towed Vehicle, nyc.gov}
{Towed Vehicles, nyc.gov}

Filed in Dumbo Tidbits, Navy Street, Sands Street at 2:35 pm
Comments
  • yo
    You shouldn't get towed for alternate side street cleaning, only a ticket.
    Check your summons. Might be something else.
  • Might be the cheapest parking in Dumbo if it weren't for the initial tow fee.
  • jv
    you make it sound so pleasant...these people are parasites. And the people who work in the redeeming office are morons too.

    Screw NYPD traffic.
  • thl
    Do you have out of state plates? If you have out of state plates they are allowed to tow you if you get any violation. With NY plates you should not be towed for a street cleaning violation.
  • Peter
    don't park you car a cross the street from One Main Street. if you park to close to the fire pump they will tow you in a minute. a DUMBO hot spot !
  • jv, it wasn't pleasant when I had to pay $205 to get my car back. But it was an easy process. I expected them to be more moronic.

    thl, that must be it. I have an out of state license plate.

    Peter, nice tip, thanks!
  • mork
    $205 sounds pretty cheap, since (assuming you live in Dumbo) you're possibly also on the hook for insurance fraud).
  • rula lenska
    It is advisable to file your taxes, pay some credit cards,or whatever at the address you "garage" your car at. The first thing insurance cos. do is demand to see those things when you file for an accident.
  • stop biting my handle
    Lives in dumbo...
    Has a car...
    Out of state plates...

    So, you people move into town, displace people, then don't even properly pay insurance/taxes?

    leeches. Yuppie leeches.
  • wrong assumptions guys: I don't own the car, a relative is in school in nyc and borrowing the car, and added to their insurance.
  • andy
    How weird, this morning I wake up and my car is missing.

    I parked at a No parking Mon-Fri 8am-6pm area under the manhattan bridge, but I assumed that President's Holiday would be safe.

    Do I have a case?
    I once got wrongly ticketed on July 4th and contested it and won.
  • meeksie
    aren't yuppies are in their 60s by now? maybe you should focus your ire on Hipster Scum.

    at the very least why not apologize for being a dumbshit?
  • dumbowner
    On another note, we happen to know the real Rula Lenska. She lives in London and has never heard of Dumbo Brooklyn, let alone posts comments here. Isn't there a law about impersonating someone on these things? Not kidding.
  • stop biting my handle
    @meeksie:

    How could yuppies be in their 60's, when by definition, they are 'young'?


    And why would I focus my anger on hipsters? Look around, DUMBO isn't full of hipsters. Compared to DUMBO's population influx, I would welcome hipsters! Hipsters want record stores and coffee shops within immediate reach, not banks and post offices.

    as for apologizing... c'mon. dumbonyc may be telling a little white lie... but it's a lie. dumbonyc is circumventing NYC insurance rates... which the population of NYC is supposed to pay.

    Re-read what's above: "I have a car, but only drive on weekends" "I’ve never had any problems finding parking" "occasionally I forget to move the car on no parking days"... does this sound like dumbonyc borrowed a car for the weekend? No. Dumbonyc is lying to pay cheaper insurance. IE. living on the backs of real new yorkers... the ones who participate in the economics of city living.

    Sounds like andy is too.
  • andy
    dumbass, how am i living on the backs of "real new yorkers" if I live in dumbo, pay city real estate and income taxes, and on top of that, pay brooklyn car insurance rates with my NYS licensed vehicle.

    You are m-fing retarded, Dont bite my handle.
  • dumbowner
    Your right dumbowner, Who the hell is Rula Lenska anyway. Henceforth I will be dumbowner.
  • dumbowner
    Thanks I hate dropping names.
  • smokey
    You guys should all settle down, come smoke a peace pipe with me.. (it looks like a crack pipe but I promise you its a peace pipe. would I lie to you?)
  • stop biting my handle
    Andy,

    Calm down.

    You should be proud of all those bills you pay so that people like dumbonyc don't have to.

    I said 'sounds like'... and it did.
  • dumbowner
    I'm down wif dat.
  • Bob
    stop biting my handle is such an ASSHOLE.
  • Hi all, no need for name calling everyone.

    stop biting my handle, I agree it does sound like I am lying, but "living on the backs of real new yorkers"? Tough crowd here. I pay NYC and NYS taxes, pay my bills on time, I have not displaced anyone, I donate money to art-based non-profits in Dumbo (what little I have left after taxes), and donate time for NYC based non-profit organizations. Also blog here to help local residents who work hard to stay afloat, publicize their small businesses during my train ride to work.

    This post was just to help those who emailed me about what to do in the event that their car is towed and I shared my story. Yes, I pay my portion of car insurance, but I have a relative who is in school who doesn't want to pay $500 per month to garage the car in Manhattan, so I do have use of his car while he is finishing up his program. Nothing illegal about that.
  • andy
    dumbonyc, you are the webmaster of this site... you don't need to justify anything to any a-hole.

    keep up the good work
  • stop biting my handle
    hate everything but love spending time on this site. i'm digitally tough but sensitive over my name, it's all i've got.
  • stop biting my handle
    i did not just post that
  • really, c'mon, stop biting my
    @dumbonyc: are you _sure_ there's nothing illegal about that? Your car insurance company knows that the majority of the time, this car is used and parked in new york city?

    A report from 2006 shows that New York City loses up to 275 million dollars to people using out-of-state plates.

    Is this not living off the backs of real New Yorkers? Have I misspoken?
  • T bone
    Stop biting- just stop! Leave him alone!

    Dumbonyc- Thanks for all you do for this community and the businesses and people that live Dumbo! If you are not a "real New Yorker" I don't know who is!
  • Prof. H. Hill
    California did away with zip code based insurance because it is unfair. I for one have 2 cars and a perfect driving record for over 30 years. You can be sure that I insure out of town. Thats what a true new Yorker would do. Just make sure you file taxes or get paper bills sent to that address. Stop biting my handle, bit me!
  • mike d
    Prof's right. The 275 mil is all lost from real ny'ers using their damn heads. Sorry bites, but you need a lesson in common sense.
    My car is the one with the cal. license plates.
  • really, c'mon, stop biting my
    Proud to be a cheater... but offended by an accusation of a lack of 'new york-ness'? Strange and screwy value set you Californians have.

    Incidentally dumbonyc, I appreciate the _positive_ things you do for the community. However I don't appreciate you making my insurance more expensive.

    And hey, I'd love to do away with zip code based insurance... but it exists here.

    Do you go back to your home states and say things like "the natives are so stupid. They don't break the law to save a buck!"

    Leeches, living off the backs of real New Yorkers; the ones that participate in the economics of this city.
  • anon
    A real new yorker:
    j walks
    feeds the meter
    argues with the meter person when he gets caught
    sublets to euro trash (in cash) and makes a profit
    pays cash to avoid tax
    takes the Willis/3rd Avenue Bridges to avoid the toll
    squeezes 2 people thru the turnstyle when no one looks
    pays a dollar at the MET because it used to be free
    uses bathrooms that are for customers only
    takes all the Village Voices when he is packing

    best of all, "participating in the economics of this city" might allow you to buy a 2nd home where you will register to vote down any increase in school taxes and register your Land Rover among other things.
  • MCA
    stop biting my handle has a point. however, it's not the hippy dumbonyc californians who are driving in ny driving up your insurance. it's the criminals who stage accidents, those who inflate claims, diplomats with parking immunity, and the professional steers soliciting the injured who direct them to lawyers and doctors part of the scheme. like you said in your comment in the 475 kent post, "no matter how long you’ve lived here, you don’t have to be a dick"
  • Moonstruck
    I live in Carroll Gardens, not DUMBO, but I still have a complaint about the tow pound at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. I discovered that my car had been towed yesterday (Saturday. I tried calling, and kept getting a recording, so I went to the NYPD website to find out the hours of operation of the tow pound. It clearly stated Sundays from 12 pm to 8 pm. I took car service there, and they were closed!!!!!! I had to take car service back home ($36 roundtrip!) and now have to go back tomorrow morning at 8 am by car service to pick up my car. They need to update their voicemail recording and their website. I probably have to pay another day storage fee besides! I tried to find some agency to complain to, but 311 and the 76th Precinct could not assist me. They claim they have nothing to do with the pound! Extremely frustrated and angry now!!!
  • mod squad
    Moonstruck, you shoulda stopped by Pedro's and had a Margarita with dog hair floating in it. The NYPD pound is a source of tourist dollars for this neighborhood.
  • ilovemycar
    i've been towed a few times in dumbo. Usually, it's a no standing sign that gets you towed. alternate side of the street parking won't get you towed. overall dumbo, is a pretty easy place to have a car. Greenies can whine all they want, but i like to get out of the city on weekends, and unless you are living in park slope (where parking is horrible) Brooklyn is pretty car friendly - although i've been broken into several times as well - you take it as it comes.
  • m.j.
    in case anyone is wondering the magic number of outstanding parking violations before a tow, it is three.

    i got lazy/kept forgetting to move my car for street cleaning. on the third violation, they towed my little car away. remember to pay those tickets!!
  • Sara
    Okay, these a*sholes have my car and no one--NO ONE--seems to have their fax number so my boyfriend can send in information so I can pick it up for him. Does anyone have the fax number?
  • kenjh
    wow you guy's sure have high rates for you parking..and I see the anger level is way up there ...I think i will go somewere else for vacation....what is parking like in upstate like??
  • Lars Ulrich
    What the hell would possess you to come here for vacation anyway? If you enjoy stress, high prices, and douche bags you'll be in the right place.
  • s
    Regardless what this thread had turned into. The information on this page is the best information and the most clear explanation on "what to do if you car is towed" Thanks.
  • audrey3
    I used to live on E 51 St in midtown Manhattan. Both sides of the street were marked No Parking. Every morning the cops would come and use it as their commuter parking lot. Once a ticket agent was writing a ticket for a car that had a PBA card on the dashboard.caderea parului
  • name is loose stool
    Thanks for the info on 51st street audrey3, that's really interesting. Waiting to find out what happened to the ticket agent. Did the cops shoot her dead?
    with baited breath
    LS
  • name is loose stool
    OH Shit!
  • name is loose stool
    Thanks for the info on 51st street audrey3, that's really interesting. Waiting to find out what happened to the ticket agent. Did the cops shoot her dead?
    with baited breath
    LS
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