Guides / Ask the tow yard in writing where the money went

Ask the tow yard in writing where the money went

If your car was sold and you never heard about leftover money, you can ask the tow yard for the facts in writing. This tool builds the letter in your browser.

Start here. If your car was sold and you never heard where the leftover money went, you can ask the tow yard in writing. The tool below builds the letter.

This site cannot look up your car or send anything for you. It is information, not legal advice. In California, also use the DMV lookup.

Why ask in writing

A written request gives you a record. It asks the tow yard for the facts you need: what it charged, what the car sold for, and whether any money was left over and where it went. The laws this site has read say leftover money goes to a state agency, a court clerk, a local treasurer, a holding account or the person entitled, depending on the state and the kind of sale.

The states page shows the sentence for each state this site has checked: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. The letter uses a short plain-words version of that sentence for the state you choose. Which sentence applies depends on the kind of sale. The yard's answer will show which kind it was.

What the letter asks for

The date and place of the sale, and the price.
An itemized statement of the charges: towing, storage with the daily rate and dates, processing fees and any other charge.
How the sale money was applied.
Whether money was left over, the amount, the date it was sent and to whom.
Copies of the notices, the addresses used and proof of mailing.

Write your letter

This tool runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It builds a letter you can print or copy. You send the letter yourself.

After you send it

This site's suggestion: send it by a method that gives you a receipt, such as certified mail with return receipt, and keep a copy.
If the yard names an agency that holds the money, ask that agency how to claim. In California, the claim steps are in the California guide.
If a notice arrived before the sale, see what a California notice must say.
If the yard does not answer, or the answers do not add up, a lawyer or a legal aid office can tell you your options. This site cannot.

What this site cannot do

It cannot check whether money is held for your car.
It does not send the letter. You send it.
It cannot promise that the yard will answer or that money was left over.
It is not a law firm. This page is information, not legal advice.

Sources

California Civil Code §3073, read 14 November 2026
Florida Statutes §713.78, read 14 November 2026
Georgia Department of Revenue page, read 14 November 2026
Michigan Compiled Laws §257.252g, read 14 November 2026
Nevada Revised Statutes chapter 108, read 14 November 2026
75 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes §7308, read 14 November 2026
Revised Code of Washington 46.55.130, read 14 November 2026
Texas Transportation Code §683.015, read 14 November 2026
New York Lien Law §204, read 14 November 2026
Colorado Revised Statutes §42-4-1809, read 14 November 2026

The state sentences in the letter are short plain-words versions of those sources, shown with their exact words on the states page. This is not legal advice.