SMITH TOWING & R E C O V E R Y
Box truck in a ditch — private property towing context

PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWING

Apartment complexes, shopping centers, HOAs, and commercial property — by-the-book enforcement.

Private Property

BY-THE-BOOK ENFORCEMENT

Texas has tight rules about towing from private property. We work with apartment complex managers, HOA boards, shopping center operators, and commercial property owners to enforce parking rules within those rules, with proper signage, documentation, and state-compliant release.

On-site storage at our 4-acre facility in Crosby. Vehicle owners can retrieve their car 24/7 with proper ID and payment, per state law.

Contracts, signed agreements, or one-off property manager calls all welcome.

Capabilities

PRIVATE PROPERTY CAPABILITIES

  • Apartment complex contracts
  • HOA & condo associations
  • Shopping center & retail lots
  • Commercial office parking
  • Signed per Texas code
  • 24/7 vehicle release at our facility
  • Documented photo evidence on every tow
  • TDLR-licensed Vehicle Storage Facility

APARTMENT & MULTI-FAMILY PARKING ENFORCEMENT

Resident-only spaces filling up with non-residents, fire lanes blocked, expired permits, and abandoned vehicles taking up assigned parking. These are daily headaches for Houston-area apartment communities and property managers. We set up non-consent towing programs for multi-family properties across Crosby, Baytown, Channelview, Highlands, and greater Houston, with a signed authorization agreement on file, compliant signage at every entrance, and a documented tow on every removal.

You decide the rules: reserved-spot enforcement, fire-lane and handicap violations, expired or missing decals, or removal of inoperable and abandoned vehicles. We enforce them strictly within the Texas Transportation Code. A real dispatcher answers 24/7, so a manager or after-hours courtesy officer can authorize a removal at 2 a.m. the same as at 2 p.m. We have been doing this work in the Crosby area since 2001.

HOA & CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION TOWING

HOA and condo boards have to balance enforcement against keeping residents happy, and that means towing has to be clean, consistent, and defensible. We work with associations and their management companies to enforce CC&R parking provisions, including guest-parking limits, no-parking zones, blocked driveways and mailboxes, RV and trailer restrictions, and removal of derelict vehicles, with the documentation a board needs if a removal is ever questioned.

Every tow is logged with date, time, plate, location, and time-stamped photos, so the association has a record and the vehicle owner has a clear account of why the vehicle was removed. We keep our process by-the-book so the board is not the one left explaining a sloppy tow.

RETAIL, SHOPPING CENTER & RESTAURANT LOTS

Customer parking only works when it is actually available to customers. Shopping centers, strip malls, restaurants, and standalone retail along the Crosby and east-Houston corridor lose spaces to commuters, overnight parkers, and people leaving cars while they go elsewhere. We patrol or respond on-call to keep customer lots open, enforce time limits and tenant-only spaces, and clear fire lanes and loading zones so deliveries and customers can get in.

For multi-tenant centers we coordinate with the property owner or management company so enforcement matches each tenant's lease terms, and we handle after-hours and overnight removals so the lot is clear before the next business day.

COMMERCIAL, OFFICE & INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

Office parks, medical plazas, warehouses, and industrial yards along the SH-225 and US-90 corridor deal with employee-spot disputes, vendor and visitor overflow, and unauthorized vehicles parked in active loading or equipment areas. We provide non-consent towing for commercial and industrial property owners across greater Houston, keeping reserved, ADA, and operational areas clear without disrupting legitimate traffic.

For gated, secured, or restricted industrial sites we coordinate access in advance with site management. Our operators are TWIC certified for facilities that require Ship Channel or refinery-gate credentials, so we can clear an unauthorized vehicle from a controlled lot without a gate-access problem.

TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE CH. 2308 COMPLIANCE

Non-consent towing from private property in Texas is governed by Chapter 2308 of the Transportation Code, and doing it wrong exposes the property owner to liability, not just the towing company. We run every private-property removal by the book: a signed authorization from the property owner or their agent, the posted-signage and notice requirements met, and the vehicle delivered to a licensed storage facility with proper notice to the owner.

We keep current on the rules so our property clients do not have to. That includes how a vehicle must be authorized for tow, what has to be on the sign, where the vehicle can be taken, and how an owner has to be able to retrieve it. Enforcement that follows Ch. 2308 protects the property owner as much as it keeps the lot clear.

COMPLIANT SIGNAGE & SETUP

Under Texas law, a property generally cannot tow non-consensually unless conforming tow-away signage is posted at each vehicle entrance, with the required wording, lettering, and the towing company's name and phone number. Missing or non-compliant signs are one of the most common reasons a tow gets challenged. We help new private-property clients get signage placed correctly at every entry before enforcement begins, so removals hold up.

When you start a towing program with us, we walk the property's entrances, confirm the signs meet the posting and content requirements, and make sure the setup matches what the code expects before the first vehicle is ever hooked.

PHOTO DOCUMENTATION ON EVERY TOW

Every non-consent tow we perform is photo-documented before the vehicle leaves the lot: the violation, the vehicle's position, the license plate, the posted signage, and the condition of the vehicle at hookup. Those time-stamped photos protect everyone: the property owner has proof the removal was justified, and the vehicle owner has an accurate record of the vehicle's condition when we took it.

This documentation is logged with the tow and available if a removal is ever disputed. It is the difference between a clean, defensible enforcement program and a tow that turns into an argument.

OWNER RETRIEVAL — GETTING YOUR VEHICLE BACK

If your vehicle was towed from a private lot, it is most likely at our secured 4-acre storage facility at 4338 Harvey Rd in Crosby. We release vehicles 24/7; you do not have to wait for business hours. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and proof you are entitled to the vehicle (registration, title, or insurance in your name). The registered owner or an authorized driver can claim it.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, cash, Cash App, Venmo, and Zelle. Texas law caps private-property tow and storage fees, and we itemize what is owed before release: the tow, daily storage, and any notification fee, with nothing hidden. A real dispatcher answers around the clock, so call (832) 360-7122 before you drive out and we will confirm your vehicle is here and tell you exactly what to bring.

Local coverage

SERVING CROSBY & GREATER HOUSTON

We provide this service 24/7 across Crosby and the greater Houston area, including:

CrosbyBaytownChannelviewPasadenaDeer ParkLa PorteKingwoodHumbleAtascocitaHighlands

Common Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If your vehicle was towed from a private lot in the Crosby or Houston area, it is most likely at our secured facility at 4338 Harvey Rd, Crosby, TX. Call (832) 360-7122 first. A real dispatcher answers 24/7 and will confirm your vehicle is here and tell you what to bring. Then come in with a valid photo ID and proof the vehicle is yours, pay the itemized fees, and drive it out. We release around the clock.
Texas caps private-property tow and storage fees, and we itemize everything before release: the tow charge, daily storage, and any notification fee, with nothing hidden. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, cash, Cash App, Venmo, and Zelle. Call (832) 360-7122 and we will tell you the exact total before you drive out.
If you believe your vehicle was removed improperly, Texas Transportation Code Ch. 2308 gives vehicle owners the right to request a tow hearing in the Justice of the Peace court for the precinct where the tow occurred. We document every removal with time-stamped photos of the violation and the posted signage, so the record is clear. We will provide your release paperwork showing where and why the vehicle was towed.
Yes. We set up non-consent towing programs for apartment communities, HOAs and condo associations, retail centers, and commercial property across greater Houston. That includes a signed authorization agreement, help getting compliant signage posted at every entrance, and photo-documented tows. We have served the Crosby area since 2001. One-off property-manager calls are welcome too. You do not need a contract to call us out.
Non-consent towing in Texas is governed by Chapter 2308 of the Transportation Code. Generally a property must have conforming tow-away signage posted at each vehicle entrance, and each removal must be authorized by the property owner or their agent. The vehicle has to go to a licensed storage facility with proper owner notice. We handle every step by the book so the property owner is protected, not exposed.
Texas requires conforming tow-away signs posted at each entrance, with the specific wording, lettering size, and the towing company's name and phone number set by the code. Missing or non-compliant signs are the most common reason a tow gets challenged. When you start a program with us we walk your entrances and confirm the signage meets the posting requirements before the first vehicle is hooked.

NEED HELP RIGHT NOW?

Our dispatcher picks up personally: no voicemail, no queue.