Towed from your apartment complex in Wisconsin
A properly posted lot has a sign at each vehicle entrance and one readable from the parked car, with the bottom at least 4 feet up and letters at least 2 inches tall, saying unauthorized cars may be removed. If the car is towed, the most a company may charge for a private-property tow of a car in Wisconsin is $150, plus storage.
Checked Nov 14, 2026 against the Wisconsin statute and regulator pages.
What to do now
- Call the property office or check the tow-away sign at the lot entrance. It must name the tow company and its phone number in most states.
- Call the tow company to confirm they have the car, the address of the storage lot and the total due.
- Photograph the signs, your permit or sticker and where you were parked before anything changes.
- Get your car out quickly. Storage is charged by the day.
- Ask for an itemized receipt and compare it to your state limits.
- If the tow broke your lease or the state rules, write to the property manager and request a hearing if your state offers one.
Wisconsin rules that matter here
Tow-away signs
A properly posted lot has a sign at each vehicle entrance and one readable from the parked car, with the bottom at least 4 feet up and letters at least 2 inches tall, saying unauthorized cars may be removed.12
Notice
Before towing from private property, the tow company must notify the local police or sheriff with the car details and where it is going. If it does not try in good faith, it cannot collect any tow or storage charges. Police must give this information to the owner on request.12
Personal belongings
The lot must release personal property not attached to the car during regular office hours, free of charge, when you show ID. You will be told that the car is then treated as abandoned unless you sign an agreement to pay the full charges.2
Related
- All Wisconsin towing laws and fee limits
- Calculate what you owe in Wisconsin
- Apartment complex: rules in every state
- How to fight a tow
Wisconsin cities: Milwaukee
Think the tow or the bill was wrong?
Ask the lot for an itemized receipt, compare it to the legal limits in Wisconsin, and request a hearing before the deadline. Our step-by-step guide and calculator are free.
Questions
Can my apartment tow my car without warning?
In many states yes, if proper tow-away signs are posted at each entrance. Some states and leases require a warning sticker first for things like expired tags. Check your state rules and your lease.
Who do I call if my car was towed from my apartment?
Start with the tow company named on the posted sign or the property office. In Houston and Harris County you can also search FindMyTowedCar. Police usually get a report of private tows within a few hours.
Sources
Last checked Nov 14, 2026. Fees and rules change: confirm with the lot or agency before you go. Spot an error? Tell us.
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. Trans 319 Towing of unauthorized vehicles on private property (Wis. Admin. Code Trans 319.03 to 319.05), Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Checked Nov 14, 2026.
- Wis. Stat. 349.13 Authority to regulate parking, removal of vehicles (Wis. Stat. § 349.13(3m), (5)), Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Checked Nov 14, 2026.