Last reviewed October 10, 2026 by Jackson McMillan, Florida attorney
Short answer: A Brandon apartment complex can have a resident's car towed for breaking a parking rule, but Hillsborough County requires a written towing agreement that limits when tows can happen, time-stamped photos of the violation, a registration check before any expired-tag tow, and proper signs at every entrance. A tow that skips those steps can cost the tow company its fee and more.
My office is in Tampa, and I represent people throughout Tampa Bay and the rest of Florida. Brandon sits in unincorporated Hillsborough County, so the county's towing ordinance applies directly, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office receives the tow reports there.
Can my apartment complex tow my car in the middle of the night?
Only if its towing agreement allows it. In Hillsborough County, the tow company must have a signed written agreement with the property before any tow, and the agreement must state the time of day and the days of the week towing is authorized, plus any exceptions. A 3 a.m. tow is allowed only if the agreement covers 3 a.m.
The agreement has other required terms (Hillsborough County Code § 50-181(b)). It must describe the lot or spaces where towing can happen, state that fees won't exceed the county's maximums, give the address of the storage lot, and carry signatures from both the property and the tow company certifying that each follows Florida's towing law. Agreements must be kept for five years and shown to county investigators and police on request.
You won't usually have a copy. But a complaint to the county can bring it out, and in a lawsuit it is one of the first documents to request. If a tow happened outside the authorized hours, or in a part of the property the agreement doesn't list, it went beyond what the property authorized, and the ordinance makes it a violation to tow without meeting the agreement requirements.
My parking permit fell off the mirror. Can they still tow me?
It depends on your lease and on the proof. Your lease or parking addendum sets the permit rule. But in Hillsborough, before towing, the driver must take time- and date-stamped photos or video showing the violation, and keep them for six months. If there are no photos, the company must refund your towing fee.
Ask the tow company for those photos in writing as soon as you get your car back (§ 50-181(f)). If they show your permit lying on the dashboard or the floor mat, you have a real argument that the car was registered with the complex and not "unauthorized." Bring your own proof too: the permit itself, the email or form from the leasing office assigning it, and the lease addendum.
Also look at whether the complex followed its own process. Some leases promise a warning sticker or a notice period before towing a resident's car. Florida's towing law doesn't require those, but if your lease does, a tow that skipped them may be a breach of the lease, and that is a separate question from the ordinance.
They towed me for an expired tag. Was that allowed?
Only if the driver checked first. Hillsborough's ordinance says that before towing a car from private property because the tag shows an expired registration, the tow driver must verify with the Tax Collector or the state motor vehicle department that the registration actually is expired. If you renewed online, the new decal may not have reached you yet.
If you renewed online and were waiting for the decal, print or screenshot the renewal confirmation with its date (§ 50-181(u)). A tow of a car whose registration was current, based on an old sticker, is the situation this rule addresses. Ask the tow company what verification it did, who did it, and when, and keep its answer.
Does my apartment complex need tow-away signs?
Yes. Florida's sign exception covers only property that is part of a single-family home, and an apartment complex isn't one. Every vehicle entrance needs a tow-away sign. In Hillsborough, each sign must stand within 5 feet of the public right-of-way and list every towing company the property has authorized, and noncompliant signs block towing entirely.
The signs must also meet state standards: "tow-away zone" in letters at least 4 inches high, a reflective notice that unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owner's expense, the tow company's name and phone number, and installation 3 to 6 feet above the ground for at least 24 hours before any tow (Fla. Stat. § 715.07(2)(a)5.; Hillsborough County Code § 50-183). If the complex also boots cars, the sign must add "Unauthorized vehicles are also subject to being booted."
Large complexes often have more than one gate, plus a service entrance. Walk the property and photograph every entrance a car can use. A complex that posts signs at its main entrance but not at a side gate has not met the rule.
My guest's car got towed. Who can get it back?
The registered owner, or someone with proof of an ownership interest, can. The tow company must accept a title, a loan or lease contract, or a copy of either, plus one government photo ID. If your guest borrowed the car, Hillsborough County advises bringing a notarized affidavit from the registered owner authorizing the pickup.
The owner, or an agent with a notarized authorization, can get personal belongings out right away, at the scene or at the storage lot, whether or not anyone has paid for the car (Hillsborough County Code § 50-181(r)). A fee is allowed for that access only outside business hours. If your complex has a guest parking policy and your guest followed it, keep the guest pass or the text from the leasing office approving the visit.
Send me your lease's parking terms, the tow receipt, and photos of the entrances. I'll check the tow against Hillsborough's ordinance and tell you what you can recover.
Is my landlord responsible for a bad tow?
The complex can be. Florida law protects a property owner from liability for a tow only when it substantially complies with the towing statute. When a person improperly causes a car to be towed, that person owes the owner the towing and storage costs, any damage from the tow, attorney's fees, and court costs.
The tow company carries its own exposure. Hillsborough's ordinance makes a towing service that violates it liable for all recovery costs, including towing and storage fees, plus attorney's fees and court costs, and for damages resulting from the tow (§ 50-192(f)). Tow companies are also barred from paying properties for the right to tow there (§ 50-181(g)).
Two cautions. Most single apartment tows are worth a few hundred dollars, so the fee provisions are what make a claim practical. And if you sue to challenge the tow company's lien and lose, Florida's lien statute lets the court award fees to the company. If the same complex tows many residents the same improper way, a group or class claim may be an option.
How do I complain about a tow in Hillsborough County?
File a complaint with Hillsborough County Code Enforcement's regulatory compliance section, which enforces the towing ordinance. It can investigate, inspect tow company records, issue citations, and require a company to reimburse charges above the county maximums. Include the company name, the date and place of the tow, the invoice, and your photos.
The county lists regcomp@hcfl.gov and (813) 274-6600 for towing questions, and it takes complaints online. Be aware that the county says its staff don't give legal advice and can't take legal action for you, and that complaints become public records. A county citation and a private claim for your money can proceed side by side; the ordinance preserves your private remedies (§ 50-197).
What should I save after an apartment tow?
Save your lease and parking addendum, proof that your permit and registration were valid, photos of every entrance sign, the tow receipt and invoice, and a log of each call with times. Then ask the tow company in writing for its pre-tow photos and the property's towing agreement.
- Lease, parking addendum, and permit, plus any email from the office about parking.
- Registration renewal confirmation, if the tow was about your tag.
- Photos of each entrance and its sign, including side gates.
- The receipt, which must list each charge and carry the county's consumer disclosure.
- A written request for the pre-tow photos, the expired-tag verification, and the towing agreement.
Sources: Fla. Stat. §§ 715.07(2), (2)(a)4., 5., 9., (4), 713.78(5), (17); Hillsborough County Code of Ordinances Part A, ch. 50, art. VII (§§ 50-173, 50-176, 50-181, 50-183, 50-192, 50-197, 50-198); Hillsborough County Code Enforcement web guidance for towed-vehicle owners and towing companies; U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Brandon CDP, Florida. Last reviewed October 10, 2026.