Consumer6 min read9/7/2026

Municipal Car Towing in Israel: Get the Car Back and Challenge the Costs

A municipal tow usually leaves the owner facing two different charges: the parking fine and the cost of removing the vehicle. The fastest practical response is to secure the car and preserve every receipt—then examine the fine and the towing decision separately, because Israeli courts do not necessarily treat them as one dispute.

Numbers and facts

•₪500 parking demand in the 2006 Laskov case
•₪260 towing expenses demanded in that case
•₪300 fine imposed by the Local Affairs Court before acquittal
•2 wheels were parked beside a red-and-white curb
•Sections 70A and 77(a) underpin municipal towing authority

First, separate release from the legal fight

Contact the municipality or towing depot, locate the vehicle and request a written breakdown of everything demanded for its release. Ask specifically whether the amount is a towing charge, a parking fine or another depot charge; the supplied materials do not establish one nationwide release tariff or a universal rule that the fine itself must be paid before release. If getting the car back immediately is the priority, complete the stated release process while retaining the receipt, towing notice and payment record. Do not rely on the historical amounts in court decisions as current prices.

A real case shows how the bills can diverge

In Supreme Court case Crim. Leave App. 4355/08, Reuven Laskov parked on Melchett Street in Tel Aviv on the evening of June 26, 2006, with two wheels beside a red-and-white curb. He was required to pay a ₪500 parking demand and ₪260 in towing expenses, while other cars parked in the same line were not towed. The Tel Aviv Local Affairs Court later set the parking fine at ₪300, but said it could not decide the towing claim. The Supreme Court ultimately acquitted Laskov and ordered repayment of any parking fine and towing fees he had paid, with indexation and interest from the payment date.

What makes a tow legally different from a fine

A parking fine concerns responsibility for an offence; towing is an administrative step intended to remove what the municipality considers a safety or traffic obstruction. The Supreme Court cited sections 70A and 77(a) of the Traffic Ordinance [New Version], 1961, explaining that a vehicle parked illegally and obstructing traffic may be towed even where the driver is not criminally responsible for reasons that do not make the parking lawful. This means cancellation of a fine does not automatically answer every question about the tow. Conversely, a valid parking prohibition does not by itself prove that selective or irrational towing was proper.

Photograph the comparison, not just your car

Take prompt photographs of the curb, signs, road markings, pavement width and the position of the vehicle before details at the scene change. If comparable vehicles remain nearby, photograph the entire row and the conditions relevant to each car, rather than making only a general claim that “everyone parks there.” Preserve the ticket, towing record, depot receipt, payment confirmations and every municipal response. In Laskov, the crucial comparison was that his vehicle alone was ticketed and towed while similarly parked Tel Aviv residents’ vehicles with parking permits remained.

Challenge the fine and tow through the correct tracks

Under section 55 of the Courts Law [Consolidated Version], 1984, the Local Affairs Court deals with charges connected to public order in the local authority, including the parking prosecution. The Supreme Court held that an objection to the legality of towing is not part of deciding criminal guilt and belongs before the competent court in a civil proceeding. A selective-enforcement argument can still be relevant to the parking case itself. Keep the two claims clearly labelled in correspondence: one requests cancellation or review of the fine, while the other challenges the towing decision and seeks repayment of towing expenses.

When selective enforcement can justify repayment

The Supreme Court rejected the idea that residents may be favored by selectively enforcing a safety-based parking prohibition against outsiders. A municipality may prefer residents when allocating lawful parking spaces, but that preference must be expressed through an appropriate allocation and clear signage. In Laskov, all vehicles created the same supposed obstruction, yet only the non-resident’s car was removed; the Court found no basis for the tow in those circumstances. The repayment order covered the fine and towing fees actually paid, with indexation and interest, but it should not be read as a universal reimbursement formula for every tow.

FAQ

Must I pay the parking fine before collecting a towed car?

The supplied judgment does not establish a universal requirement that the parking fine must be paid as a condition of release. Ask the depot for an itemized statement identifying exactly what must be paid to recover the vehicle and keep proof of each separate payment.

Can a municipality tow a car before the driver is convicted?

Yes. The Supreme Court described towing as an administrative action rather than a criminal sanction, and it can occur before guilt is determined. The stated purpose must be removing a vehicle viewed as an unlawful obstruction or safety hazard.

Does cancelling the parking fine automatically refund the towing fee?

Not necessarily, because the fine and towing legality are distinct issues and may be heard through different procedures. In Laskov, the Supreme Court ordered repayment of both after finding selective enforcement and no basis for the tow, but that result depended on the facts of the case.

Can residents legally receive better parking treatment than visitors?

A municipality may give residents priority in allocating permitted parking spaces. The Supreme Court said that preference should be implemented through proper parking allocation and clear signage—not by selectively towing outsiders from a place officially prohibited to everyone.

What evidence is most useful when disputing a municipal tow?

Preserve photographs of the curb, signs, alleged obstruction and comparable vehicles, together with the ticket, towing record and receipts. Evidence that apparently similar vehicles were treated differently can matter, particularly when the municipality claims the tow was required for safety.

What to do next

Recover the vehicle promptly, obtain an itemized payment record and preserve detailed evidence from the location. Then review the parking fine and towing expense as separate disputes, following the procedure stated in the notices and identifying the correct forum for each. This is general information rather than legal advice.