New York Leads In Towing Charges

New York and San Francisco, two of the most expensive places in the country to live, are also the two most expensive cities when it comes to retrieving towed cars, according to a newspaper survey.

New York City charges a $150 basic tow fee, plus up to $15 a day for storage, said the survey in Sunday’s San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco charges $124.75 plus a $21.50 initial daily storage fee for the first four hours. The storage fee then goes to $26.50 a day.

Last year, San Francisco towed 68,869 vehicles for illegal parking, a high in the eight years records have been kept.

In Washington and Boston, where living expenses are comparable to San Francisco and New York, it costs much less to retrieve towed cars.

Boston charges a maximum $52 and $15 a day for storage. Washington charges $75 for the basic fee and $10 a day for storage, which begins after the first 24-hour period.