Board Synergy Club

BOARD SYNERGY CLUB • SERVICE COORDINATION

Associations & Towing

Protect access. Explain the rules. Authorize towing carefully.

Towing can keep parking available and access clear, but an incorrect tow can create hardship for a resident and liability for an association. A sound program starts with authority, clear communication, and a qualified vendor.

Board checklist Management & Vendors

Management & Vendors / Service coordination

First ask: whose property is this?

In Century Village, an association parking area, a unit’s assigned space, a shared road, and a recreation parking lot may involve different rights and responsible entities. Check the declaration, plats, parking assignments, and relevant agreements. Coordinate with UCO or the actual property controller when responsibility is unclear.

Florida section 715.07 allows an authorized condominium representative to arrange removal of vehicles parked without permission on the relevant private property. Improper removal can expose the person responsible to towing and storage costs, damages, attorney’s fees, and court costs.

A board title is not enough. Confirm the association’s authority over the location and the individual’s authority to act before calling the truck. Ask association counsel to resolve disputed parking rights.

When might towing be appropriate?

Situations to evaluate include an unauthorized vehicle occupying a reserved space, a vehicle obstructing an entrance, or parking that interferes with emergency access. Document the actual circumstances and apply the applicable rules and towing requirements.

A disagreement with an owner, an unpaid assessment, or criticism of the board should not become a reason to invent a parking violation. Handle collection and conduct issues through their proper processes.

Fairness matters in a 55+ community

A missing permit could involve a newly purchased car, a visiting caregiver, or a resident who needs assistance. Establish a way to correct registration mistakes and explain guest parking before problems arise.

Consider disability accommodation requests before applying a parking policy. Consult counsel when a request affects assigned spaces or accessibility. Document decisions and apply the same standards to directors, owners, tenants, and visitors.

Choose a vendor—and define the service

Palm Beach County regulates non-consent towing through operating permits and maximum rates. Its ordinance requires vehicle-specific prior express instruction by the property owner or authorized agent; generally, authorization is signed in the driver’s presence, with specified exceptions. The towing company cannot serve as the property’s authorizing agent.

Have counsel review the agreement and authorization procedure. Ask for a current permit and evidence of insurance, then work through these practical contract questions:

Florida law prohibits paying or accepting valuable consideration for the privilege of towing from a location. Treat any proposed rebate, referral payment, or “free service” tied to tow volume as a matter for counsel to review.

Signs and resident notices serve different purposes

County rules address reflective tow-away signs, placement, lettering, company contact information, towing days and hours, and maintenance. Ordinarily, compliant signs must be in place for at least 24 hours before towing. Exceptions are specific; a warning sticker does not automatically satisfy them.

Separately, give residents an understandable parking policy: where to park, guest arrangements, permits, temporary vehicles, and whom to call. This communication helps prevent mistakes but does not replace legally required signage or authorization.

Recommended practice: use a documented warning and reasonable opportunity to correct a routine violation when safe and appropriate. Do not promise a universal warning period; urgent hazards, governing documents, and legal requirements need separate consideration.

Before authorizing a tow

  1. Confirm the location and authority. Check the space assignment, controlling entity, and applicable parking rule.
  2. Verify the facts. Record the plate, vehicle description, exact location, time, and photographs. Check for a valid temporary permission or accommodation.
  3. Decide whether correction is possible. When appropriate, contact the resident or caregiver and document the response.
  4. Check the towing requirements. Verify compliant signs or a legally applicable exception and use the counsel-approved authorization process.
  5. Keep a complete record. Retain the reason, authorizer, vendor, tow documentation, and any follow-up complaint or correction.

Towing and association fines are separate actions. If a board also proposes a fine, it must follow the applicable condominium fining procedure; a tow invoice is not a substitute for that process.

If a resident’s vehicle is towed

Look for the towing company’s name and telephone number on the posted sign. Ask where the vehicle is stored, what identification is needed, and the itemized charges. If it cannot be located, contact the appropriate law enforcement agency. Preserve photographs of the parking area, signs, vehicle, and receipts.

County rules provide no tow fee if the owner arrives before complete road-worthy hookup. After hookup but before removal, a limited drop charge may apply. Avoid confrontation; ask for an invoice and contact Consumer Affairs about a dispute.

Florida law provides inspection and receipt rights and bars requiring a damage-liability waiver as a condition of vehicle release. Address retrieval promptly while preserving evidence for any challenge.

Current county rates & retrieval information

Unresolved towing complaint? Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs: 561-712-6600. A board should investigate a possible authorization error promptly and involve counsel and its insurer when appropriate.

Example: a caregiver parks in the wrong space

Before treating the car as unauthorized, check whose space it is, whether the association controls it, and whether the caregiver can move it promptly. Review any accommodation already granted. If towing is justified, follow the legal requirements and document the reason.

Better coordination often prevents an expensive problem. Clear guest instructions, a temporary parking process, and an accessible contact number can reduce avoidable tows.

Official resources & related reading

Property manager contracts · Rule enforcement · Fair housing · Century Village roads

Reviewed October 17, 2026. Educational guidance for Century Village, West Palm Beach. Verify current law, county requirements, property rights, and association documents with counsel before implementing a towing program. Booting has separate requirements and should receive its own review.

Back to Management & Vendors

Maintain an authorization and correction record

Board Synergy recommended practice Keep the controlled area, parking rights, current rules, towing agreement, sign inspection, and authorized decision-makers together. Recheck when the vendor, telephone number, sign, space assignment, or association contact changes.

  1. Before a routine tow: check the exact vehicle, permission, temporary registration, accommodation, current signs, and required authorization. A complaint is a reason to investigate, not an automatic towing instruction.
  2. At authorization: preserve the vehicle-specific reason, location, time, photographs, authorizer, and vendor record. Follow the legally applicable procedure.
  3. If challenged: promptly preserve the evidence, review possible error, ask the vendor for its documentation, and involve counsel and the insurer where appropriate.
  4. After review: record the outcome, any corrective action, and changes needed to prevent recurrence. Do not erase the original record or promise reimbursement without authority.

County procedure Read the current prior express instruction guidance and non-consent towing guidance alongside state law. Governing documents Check assigned-space and access rights separately. UCO gate administration, traffic enforcement, towing, and condominium fines are different functions.

Connected guides and procedures

Independent Board Synergy educational guidance. Current operator instructions, applicable law, governing documents, and agreements control the actual decision.