Impound
When police or a property owner has a vehicle towed and held at a storage lot until fees are paid.
An impound is the removal and holding of a vehicle at a storage lot, ordered by police or by a private property owner. To get it back you typically need proof of ownership, ID and payment of towing and storage fees. Unclaimed vehicles can be sold.
For an older car, impound fees can quickly exceed its value. Some owners choose to sell the impounded car rather than redeem it, but the buyer still needs title and the lot’s release.
In California, when a public agency or private property impound puts a vehicle in a lot’s possession, the storage lien arises when the vehicle is towed. An additional lien for unpaid parking bail can be added when law enforcement impounds a vehicle for parking violations.1
References
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California DMV, Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual 18.065, “Liens (CCC §§3068 through 3074)”, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/vehicle-industry-registration-procedures-manual-2/lien-sales-abandoned-abated-vehicles/liens/ ↩