FAQS

Summary:

Southern Districts Towing stands as a premier vehicle recovery operator, strategically situated near the Takanini off-ramp and the Takanini train station on Oakleigh Ave, Takanini. Our expansive facility accommodates up to 450 vehicles, encompassing mopeds, cars, light and heavy trucks, and machinery. With a steadfast commitment to security, our yard is vigilantly monitored, routinely accessed by New Zealand Police and esteemed assessors from leading insurance companies on weekdays.

Operating hours for our office are from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, with closures on Saturdays and Sundays also public holidays. To streamline your experience, we kindly request contacting our office prior to your arrival to confirm the availability of property retrieval from your vehicle. Adhering to strict procedures and criteria, we ensure responsible and efficient property release to authorized individuals. Due to our status as a secure Police facility and in adherence to our rigorous health and safety protocols, our storage yard is not accessible to the public.

Impounds

Help - Why was my car impounded?

Taken from the NZ Transport Agency website:

The vehicle you're driving will be impounded if you're caught driving when:

  • you've been disqualified from holding or getting a driver licence
  • your driver licence has been suspended or revoked
  • you don't hold (or have never held) a driver licence or your licence has expired, and you have been forbidden to drive by a police officer until you have a new or renewed licence
  • you have to reinstate your licence and have been forbidden to drive by a police officer until you do
  • you commit a drink-drive offence and have two previous drink-drive convictions in the last four years
  • if the vehicle is used by a transport service operator:
    • who has been disqualified from holding or getting a transport service licence
    • whose transport service licence has been suspended or revoked
    • who does not (or has never) held a transport service licence and has previously been forbidden to operate the service.

Your vehicle can also be impounded if:

  • you're caught racing (eg drag racing)
  • you're caught performing street car stunts (eg wheel spins)
  • you've broken a bylaw that prohibits cruising
  • you've failed to stop when requested by the police (eg you've sped off and weren't immediately apprehended)
  • you have an alcohol interlock licence and the vehicle doesn't have an alcohol interlock device fitted.

Taken from the NZ Transport website:

The person registered in respect of the vehicle has an obligation to make sure that only licensed drivers use their vehicles, and that drivers use their vehicles responsibly. However, there are some circumstances where the registered person can appeal against a roadside vehicle impoundment.

aken from the NZ Transport website:

As the registered person, you can make an appeal only on the grounds that:

  • the impounded vehicle was stolen or converted at the time it was impounded (converted means the vehicle was taken or used dishonestly and without claim of right)
  • the police officer didn't have reasonable grounds or didn't follow proper procedures to impound the vehicle
  • you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably have been expected to know, that the driver was unlicensed or disqualified
  • you took all reasonable steps to prevent the unlicensed driver from driving
  • you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably have been expected to know, that the driver would race the vehicle or perform street car stunts
  • you took all reasonable steps to prevent the driver from racing or performing street car stunts
  • the driver drove in a serious medical emergency (which includes carrying a person about to give birth)
  • you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that the operator of the transport service was disqualified
  • you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that the relevant transport service licence was suspended or revoked
  • you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably be expected to know, that the operator didn't hold a transport service licence and had previously been forbidden to operate.

Taken from the NZ Transport website:

As the registered person for the vehicle, you may appeal to the Commissioner of Police within 14 days. If that appeal is unsuccessful, you can appeal to a district court.

If your appeal is successful, the vehicle will be returned. You don't have to pay the costs of the impoundment IF it's shown that the police didn't have reasonable grounds to impound the vehicle or didn't follow the correct procedure.

If the vehicle was stolen or converted, you don't have to pay the storage fee, but you must pay the towing fee.

Southern Districts Towing welcome full or part payment for your impounded vehicle, however we are not authorised to release this legally until the impoundment period is up. Please call Southern Districts Towing on 0800 008 111 to make arrangements to pre-pay the impound fee and uplift your vehicle at a later time.
It is a requirement of Southern Districts Towing that all registered owners or authorised persons, produce photo ID as a form of identification to pick up your vehicle. This can be a NZ Driver licence, an 18+ card or a current passport. Southern Districts Towing will only release the vehicle to the registered owner at the time of impoundment. Should the registered owner not be available to pick up the vehicle, prior arrangements must be made with Southern Districts Towing and the correct ID and strict procedures must be met prior to releasing a vehicle to a authorised person. Please call our office for further clarification and if necessary to authorise the collection of your vehicle.
Impound fees are set by the current New Zealand legislation. Every vehicle tow is different depending on the size of the vehicle, the impound location and the time of day. The team at Southern Districts Towing aim to notify the registered owner, as per NZTA database, by letter within 14 days of the impoundment date. If you have not received notification and need to know how much is owed, please call 0800 008 111 who can give you the correct information.
As of 1st March 2024, New Zealand Police introduced 6 month vehicle impound if a vehicle fails to stop (and remain stopped) when signalled by Police. Click here for more information around 6 month vehicle impound.

Stolen Vehicles

My vehicle has been stolen and the police have told me it’s been towed to Southern Districts Towing. What happens next...
If your car has been stolen and recovered in the Counties Manukau Police District, it will be towed back to our yard by the New Zealand Police for forensic examination. Generally, is takes 24-48 hours to complete this process, however it is case by case. Once the forensic examination has been completed, you will be notified by the New Zealand Police who will also provide you with information regarding your vehicle. You may also receive notification from a staff member at Southern Districts Towing. If you have full comprehensive car insurance or third party fire and theft, please phone your insurance provider to inform them of your vehicle's location. If you have no insurance, it is in your best interest to uplift your vehicle as quickly as possible, as storage fees may be incurred. Please call our office if you require further assistance with this

Accidents

Accident vehicles
In the unfortunate event you have had an accident, check with your insurance provider whether your policy includes a towing service and whether the service will come to the scene of an accident. Southern Districts Towing is the preferred recovery company for most major insurance companies for accidents in Auckland and we will come to your rescue, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you aren't covered for this, you may need to pay for Southern Districts Towing to come and take your vehicle away. If you require urgent assistance, please call 0800 008 111 immediately

UNATTENDED CARS - MOTORWAY

Unattended cars towed off the motorway
Stopping on the motorway is a big no-no and if you breakdown and leave your vehicle unattended on the motorway, the New Zealand Police will move/tow your vehicle to a place of safety or to the nearest National Recovery Alliance secure yard. If the police issue an infringement ticket and providing you uplift your car the same day there is no cost paid to the towing company to uplift your vehicle. Please refer to the New Zealand Police website for the latest information on how to pay for your infringement ticket.

TOWING LAW

What law governs the towing & vehicle recovery industry?
We are required by law to adhere to the Transport Services Licensing Act 1989 and the Land Transport Act 1998 and any other relevant legislation. These are monitored by LTSA and New Zealand Police. Southern Districts Towing is also a MTA member and we abide by the MTA Code of Ethics.

UNAUTHORISED PARKING

Unauthorised Parking Towaways
Unauthorized parking occurs when a vehicle is parked on private property without consent from the property owner or tenant, or fails to adhere to displayed parking terms and conditions. In such instances and where our towaway signs are present, vehicles will be towed to our facility. To retrieve your vehicle, please provide photo identification and make payment. For confirmation of vehicle storage and total costs, kindly reach out to our team on 0800 008 111.

HEAVY COMBINATION LOADS

Heavy Combination Loads
Recently there have been changes to over-dimension permits. The result is a new set of permits designed specifically to enable the towing of combination loads within a safe set of parameters. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR TOWING PERMIT FACT SHEET.
Still have questions, please email us at administration@sdt.co.nz or if you require urgent assistance please call us now 0800 008 111
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