Cost of getting your car back is going up

If your vehicle is impounded following an arrest or citation by the Orland Police Department, it will cost you more to get it out of storage.

The Orland City Council raised the fee from $50 to $100 at its March 1 meeting at the request of Orland police Chief Paula Carr. It is effective immediately.

Carr reviewed the city's current fee with her staff and found it was much less than the fee charged by other law enforcement agencies along the Interstate 5 corridor, she said.

Her department compared its fees with those charged by Chico, Redding, Colusa and Williams in 2010, and it is considerably lower, Carr said.

Chico charges $135; Redding, $160; Colusa, $80 and Williams, $60. Williams also is set to increase its fees next year, she said.

However, the present "non-arrest" vehicle release fee will remain at $25, Carr said.

She explained to the council the registered owner of the vehicle must pay the fee although a spouse may pay it as well. Only licensed drivers may drive the vehicle out of the impound yard, so police staff check to make sure someone with a valid license can do that when the vehicle is picked up.

Towing fees charged by the tow company are separate from this charge and collected by the towing firm. Its storage fees are separate as well.

Orland's vehicle impound fee schedule has not been updated since 2004, Carr reported.

The increase is intended to help the city recoup the cost of staff time for handling the paperwork and personnel costs associated with these impounds.

Police officers typically impound vehicles when drivers are arrested or charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or are cited for driving without a valid driver's license.

Such arrests usually require two officers, officials said, with one handling the booking and arrest and the other waiting for the tow truck to arrive and haul the vehicle away.

The department also charges a $15 release fee for vehicles that were repossessed as mandated by state law, but it waives the fee for stolen vehicles that were recovered and stored.