Can they tow my car from my driveway?
Usually that’s a harder tow than one from a guest lot. If the driveway is part of your privately owned lot, many associations cannot treat it like their parking garage. They may still enforce a parking or vehicle rule with a notice and a fine. Removing the car from your lot is a separate power, and it is not a national HOA right.
The lot line is the fact people miss. On a plat, the association’s street right-of-way sometimes includes the apron, a sidewalk strip, or a few feet of what looks like “your” driveway. A car parked across the sidewalk or sticking into a private street can be on common area even if the garage is yours. Condos and townhomes with shared drives are different from a detached house with a deeded driveway. Check the survey or plat, not the Google photo.
How this usually works: a parking rule bans commercial vehicles, inoperable cars, or parking in the driveway at all. The manager calls a tow company. For a common-area space, state private-property towing statutes often require posted signs of a certain size, the towing company’s info, and a written authorization. California Vehicle Code 22658, Florida Statute 715.07, and Texas Occupations Code chapter 2308 are examples of that overlay — not a national template. Fire lanes and blocked hydrants are frequently treated as faster tows even when other cars get a grace period. Those exceptions still don’t automatically reach the interior of a fenced private driveway.
What to check: CC&Rs parking language, any towing policy, the signs that were actually posted, who owns the pavement, and your state’s towing statute. A rule that says “no work trucks in the driveway” is not, by itself, a tow authorization from inside your lot.
Next steps: photograph the car’s position, the lot lines if you can, and every towing sign. Get the tow bill and the name of who signed for the tow. If a fine or hearing came with it, calendar that date. Keep paying regular dues.
Talk to a licensed lawyer if they towed from inside your gated lot or garage, the signs were missing, the charges are large, or a hearing is already set.
This is general information from an AI helper, not legal advice. Confirm it against your documents and your state’s law. If a deadline or hearing is coming up, talk to a licensed lawyer.