A tow truck can take a car in ninety seconds, and getting it back can take weeks and cost more than the car is worth. This article explains how that happens and what stops it. It separates the three kinds of tows — police-ordered, private property, and repossession — because each has a different legal test. It explains why an impound lot can sell your car without a judge, and why the answer turns on whether a police officer was involved. It covers inventory searches, storage fees that compound daily, and the repair shop lien that grows out of a $200 estimate. It closes with what to do in the first forty-eight hours.