Collection of Fees and Documentation
When a person requests to pay for contract city towed vehicle administrative release fees (tow fees) at a Station, Station desk personnel shall:
The tow fees may be paid in the form of cash, personal check, cashier’s check, or money order, as specified by the concerned contract city. Persons wishing to pay by check shall present valid identification. The identification number shall be noted on the face of the check next to the account holder's name, and entered into the cash register when prompted. All checks shall be immediately restrictively endorsed in the following manner, "For Deposit Only To The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department."
The payee shall receive a receipt showing the amount paid, the manner of payment, the receipt number, and the date paid. The vehicle release form issued to the payee shall be run through the slip printer to be imprinted with the corresponding transaction information.
If city tow fees are waived, the payee shall receive a receipt with the words, "Fees Waived," written on the vehicle release form. The name of the city employee or Watch Commander authorizing the waived fee shall be written on the vehicle release form.
Existing Department policy requires that Stations maintain a Station Daily Log of Stolen, Stored, Repossessed, and Impounded Vehicles (section 5-01/020.00). This log provides an effective tool for cross-referencing vehicles for which administrative fees would be due upon release. On the Station Daily Log, the amount of County or city fees paid, or the word "waived," shall be indicated for each released vehicle. The Station Daily Log shall be audited by the Unit Commander at least quarterly to ensure that administrative fees have been properly collected or waived for all vehicles that have been released.
Transferring/Depositing City Fees
At least once per week when fees are being held, or whenever the total of all cash and checks accumulated reaches $500 or more, the Unit Commander's designee shall be responsible for having the city fees deposited into the Sheriff’s Department’s bank account.
Payments collected on behalf of a contract city shall be deposited into the Sheriff’s Department’s bank account along with all other miscellaneous fees collected during the period.
On a monthly basis, a designated person within the Special Accounts Unit shall retrieve the payment information for each contract city from the centralized database containing the contract city tow fee payments. The designee shall instruct the Auditor-Controller to issue checks payable to the respective contract cities in the amount collected by the responsible Station. The designee shall mail the check, along with the report of payments received, to the respective contract cities.
Optional Additional Security Measures
Nothing in this policy shall preclude any Station from taking additional security measures.