What to do if your car is towed near Dallas Stadium

A missing car can turn a World Cup match day into an expensive detour.

Around Dallas Stadium, the temporary name for Arlington’s AT&T Stadium, some businesses and private lots tow vehicles when drivers park without paying, leave the property or use spaces reserved for customers. Residential streets and special event zones also have restrictions, city officials said.

For fans, especially visitors unfamiliar with towing rules in Texas, the first step is simple: Look for the tow-away sign where the car was parked and call the number listed.

“If you come back and your car’s gone, call the number on the sign,” said Charles Salomon, a master technician at a nearby Pep Boys which has been issued a city permit to accommodate stadium visitors in need of parking. “They’ll tell you where it is.”

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says if a car is towed from a parking lot, drivers can find it by calling the phone number on the no-parking or tow-away sign.

To recover the vehicle, the vehicle owner must show photo identification, prove they own or are authorized to use the car and pay towing and storage fees.

At Airways Hamburgers, about one mile away from the stadium, employee Mary Wallace, 39, said the business charges $60 for event parking and gives drivers a parking ticket to place on the dashboard.

During a previous match day, she said two cars were towed after drivers parked without paying. Wallace said some fans do not realize they must pay before leaving the lot.

“Some people ask if they can pay after,” she said. “No, you have to pay now.”

Private lots near the stadium are not the only places where fans risk losing their cars.

Trey O’Neil, 24, who works in asset protection at Walmart, said drivers have been towed after parking at the store and walking toward the stadium instead of shopping.

“There is people assigned to watch for parking,” O’Neil said. ”If they see someone with a jersey walk across the street to the game, they’re probably going to tow their car.”

A representative with A-AArlington Abandoned Vehicle said the number of tows can vary depending on the event, but drivers who park and leave the property are routinely removed.

“It could be 20 to 60 cars in one day from here at Walmart,” he said. “Anytime anybody parks here and leaves the property, they have it removed.”
Steve Williams, deputy chief with the Arlington Police Department, said officers enforce parking restrictions on public streets during special events when signs are posted.

“There has to be a sign that’s posted that prohibits it,” Williams said.

First, check the sign near where you parked and call the listed tow company. If you cannot find a sign, contact local law enforcement’s non-emergency number and ask whether the vehicle was reported as towed.

At the vehicle storage facility, bring a photo ID and proof that you own or are allowed to use the vehicle. Texas regulators say drivers can access their car to retrieve ownership documents without paying a fee.

Drivers should also expect to pay towing and storage fees. Texas Law Help says storage fees are charged in addition to the towing fee.

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