Private property towing removes vehicles that break the posted parking rules on lots we are authorized to enforce. Once your signs are up, this is the call we answer. We handle the whole thing, from documenting the violation to getting the vehicle off the lot and into the impound, for condo boards, property managers, and business owners around Ottawa and Gatineau. Call (613) 362-3362.
What makes private property towing in Ottawa different
Private property towing is a different job from a roadside tow or a municipal tow. A roadside tow is something the driver asks for. A municipal tow gets ordered by a city bylaw officer. A private property tow comes about because a vehicle broke the posted rules on land that belongs to someone else, and that one difference shapes how the whole job is run.
For a tow like that to hold up, a few things have to be in place. The lot needs to be signed properly, the violation needs to be documented, and the tow needs the say-so of the owner or whoever speaks for them. Miss one and you are looking at a dispute, which is why we do not skip any of it on a lot across Ottawa or Gatineau.
This part only works once the signs are up, which is why the signage installation comes first. The signage is the part you pay for, and the towing is what we handle from there.
The sign is the rule: If the lot is not signed clearly with the rule and the consequence, a private property tow in Ottawa can get reversed. Our first step on any new property is a signage audit, before we ever remove a single vehicle.
Properties we tow from across Ottawa
Most of the lots we tow from fall into a few familiar categories. There are the condo and apartment buildings where visitor stalls get treated as overflow parking. There are retail plazas bleeding customer spaces to commuters who park and walk to work. And there are office buildings where the tenant count has quietly outgrown the lot. The job itself does not change much between them. What changes is how often the phone rings and when.
Common Ottawa private property towing scenarios
Condo and apartment buildingsRepeat visitor stall abuse, vehicles in numbered owner spots, contractor trucks left overnight, fire route blockers during winter storms.
Retail and restaurant lotsCustomers from other businesses, transit park and ride users, vehicles left after hours, oversized trucks blocking flow.
Office and professional buildingsVisitor parking overflowed by tenants, after hours trespass, unmoved vehicles for weeks, abandoned cars during winter.
Industrial and storage propertiesUnauthorized trailers, vehicles dropped and forgotten, after hours intrusion, blocked dock access.
How a private property tow in Ottawa actually runs
Here is how a tow runs, from the moment a vehicle gets flagged on your property to the moment the impound paperwork lands in your inbox. The whole chain is documented as it goes. If a driver comes back to dispute the tow weeks later, we can pull the photos, the timestamps, and the sign that was broken to back it up.
Private property towing workflow
1
Vehicle flaggedYou or your on-site contact spots a vehicle that is breaking a posted rule on the lot and calls it in.
2
DocumentationPhotos of the vehicle in position, the plate, the posted sign that was broken, and a time stamped report.
3
Tow authorizationAuthorized property contact approves the tow, either case by case or through the standing enforcement plan we built with them.
4
Tow dispatch and on site workTruck arrives, hooks the vehicle, removes it without damaging the lot or surrounding vehicles. Every move is logged.
5
Impound, notification, recoveryVehicle held at a secure impound. Driver gets clear recovery instructions. Property owner gets the report.
Ottawa winter and private property towing
Winter is when this work picks up the most. Snow buries fire routes, people leave cars overnight after a rough commute home, and the plow contractor cannot do a clean pass around a vehicle that has not moved in days. From late November through March we run more tow calls than any other stretch of the year, right across Ottawa and Gatineau.
We work directly with your snow contractor when needed. If a vehicle is blocking the plow, we get it out so the contractor can finish their pass. That coordination matters when you are paying for snow removal that gets delayed by one stubborn vehicle. The same workflow runs during summer construction periods when work zones inside your lot need to stay clear.
Fire route violations are immediate: A vehicle in a posted fire route on your Ottawa property is towed without warning. This protects you from liability under Ontario fire safety expectations. We have zero tolerance on this.
What you pay for
The upfront cost on your side is the signage installation. That is the part you invest in, and once the signs are up, the towing is something we handle when you call. The tow itself carries its own fee schedule, which we go over with you before the first vehicle ever leaves the lot, so nothing about it catches you off guard later.
How the costs break down
Signage installationYour upfront cost, quoted per lot
The towing itselfOwn fee schedule, set out before the first tow
After hours and storm responseCovered in that schedule
Impound storageCovered in that schedule
Setting up private property towing on your Ottawa lot
If you manage a property, sit on a condo board, or own a business and you are weighing this up, the first conversation is a short one. We come out to the lot, look at the signage and where the trouble is, and lay out in writing what the rules will say and at what point a vehicle gets removed. No patrol contract, no ticketing scheme to administer. Signs go up, and we are on call from there.
If all you need is the occasional tow, that works too. As long as the lot is signed properly, there is someone authorized to approve the tow, and there is a documented reason for it, you get the same clean process without committing to anything ongoing.
Frequently asked questions about private property towing in Ottawa
Yes, in most cases. We need confirmation that the lot is signed correctly, that the vehicle is in violation of a posted rule, and that you are authorized to approve the tow. Once those are confirmed we can usually dispatch a truck within 30 to 60 minutes anywhere in the greater Ottawa area.
You need compliant signage that states the rules and the consequence (including towing at the owner's expense), and an authorized person to approve the tow. We audit your signage before any work begins and replace anything that does not hold up.
A regular tow is called by the driver who needs help. A private property tow is called by the landowner because a vehicle broke the posted rules on their property. The paperwork, the authorization process, and the impound chain are all different, and the property owner is the customer, not the driver.
Your upfront cost is the signage install. The tow itself has its own fee schedule, and we walk you through exactly how it works and what gets billed before the first vehicle is ever moved, so there is nothing about it you have not seen coming.
Every tow we run is documented with photos, time stamps, plate records, and proof of posted signage. If a driver disputes, we hand you the complete file. That documentation is what makes private property towing in Ottawa stick. It is the reason we do not cut corners on paperwork.
Yes. We run private property tows day and night across the Ottawa-Gatineau area. After hours, weekend, and storm response rates apply for the driver. Properties with active plans get priority dispatch around the clock.
Need a vehicle towed from your Ottawa lot?
Call our team and we will walk you through the next step.
