You didn’t notice the “No Parking” sign, and now your car’s gone.
The first thing you need to do is figure out where the car is. The city has four auto pound locations, including one at O’Hare International, but cars towed because of the winter parking ban are usually taken to only two of those lots.
Cars that were parked north of Madison Street are generally taken to the lot at 701 N. Sacramento Ave., said Matt Smith, spokesman for the city’s Streets and Sanitation Department. Cars that were south of Madison are towed to a lot at 103rd Street and Doty Avenue. Both lots are open 24 hours a day.
You can also find the location of your car by calling 311, the city’s information line, or by using the city’s Web site, where you can locate your car by entering the vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate number. The site is updated every six hours.
Only the person named on the car’s registration can pick up the vehicle, Smith said, and you’ll need an ID.
The only thing left is to fork over your money–cash or credit card only. If you’re towed because of the winter ban, you’ll have to pay $210–$50 for a ticket, $150 for the towing and $10 for a day of storage at the lot. Each additional day your car is at the pound will cost another $10; the storage fee goes up to $35 a day after five days.