{"id":1002,"date":"2026-05-26T19:31:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T19:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1002"},"modified":"2026-05-26T19:31:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T19:31:52","slug":"miami-beach-to-reduce-towing-of-residents-cars-heres-how-it-will-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1002","title":{"rendered":"Miami Beach to reduce towing of residents\u2019 cars. Here\u2019s how it will work"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

Miami Beach residents will get some relief from one of their biggest headaches: towing.<\/p>\n

Read more Messi injury scare, Haiti\u2019s World Cup return. Check top Miami soccer stories<\/a><\/p>\n

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Under a new policy taking effect July 1, residents won\u2019t immediately be towed for non-safety violations when they\u2019re parked on public property.<\/p>\n

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The Miami Beach City Commission unanimously approved the change at its May 20 meeting. The goal, said Commissioner Alex Fernandez, who proposed the plan, is to achieve compliance \u201cwithout unnecessarily punishing our residents who have placed their trust in us to serve them and improve their quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is one of the most common frustrations that I hear, and I think we all hear, from our residents,\u201d Fernandez said at the meeting. \u201cPeople come home from work late at night, they circle the block trying to find parking, they finally find a space and wake up the next morning to find that their vehicle has been towed for a non-safety violation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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READ MORE:<\/b> Will Miami Beach limit towing of residents\u2019 cars? City commissioner has a plan<\/p>\n

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Among the violations that could still lead to a citation but won\u2019t lead to an immediate tow for city residents: parking in a residential spot without a permit, in front of a \u201cno parking any time\u201d sign, in front of a yellow curb, in a taxi stand, in a motorcycle space, in an alleyway, in a passenger loading zone, and in an \u201cauthorized vehicles only\u201d area.<\/p>\n

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In those cases, residents who are registered in the city\u2019s parking program will receive a text message notification giving them 24 hours to move their car.<\/p>\n

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After 24 hours \u2014 or for anyone with more than three violations in a calendar quarter \u2014 residents will receive a text message giving them 15 minutes to move their car before being towed.<\/p>\n

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Ralph Andrade, an attorney who represents the two towing companies that operate in Miami Beach, Tremont Towing and Beach Towing, said at last week\u2019s meeting that the companies \u201cwill absolutely do our best to meet the city\u2019s expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI can tell you from my perspective and their perspective: If we never tow another resident again, we\u2019re thrilled,\u201d Andrade said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to tow residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Out of almost 1,200 resident vehicle tows this year, about 62% were for non-safety violations, Fernandez said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Last year, Fernandez championed a \u201ctext before tow\u201d program to have the city send residents a text message after they get a citation but before their car is towed, giving them 15 minutes to get back to the car.<\/p>\n

Read more Pino seeks to toss statements and charges against him in boat-crash trial<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That program is also expanding under the changes approved last week. Even for violations the city considers to be safety hazards \u2014 like parking in front of a fire hydrant, in a fire lane, in a handicap space without a permit, or in front of a driveway, among others \u2014 residents will now get a text message with a 15-minute grace period.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Fernandez said that\u2019s most conducive to addressing problems quickly. He noted that, in many cases, people parked illegally do so for \u201cinnocent\u201d reasons, like misunderstanding signage or parking in front of a yellow curb where the paint is faded.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, for the most part, people make innocent mistakes when it comes to parking,\u201d Fernandez said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Commissioner David Suarez supported Fernandez\u2019s plan but raised concerns about the possibility of residents taking advantage of the new policy in the North Beach neighborhood. He pointed to parking constraints in the area due to a wave of development, including an upcoming community center project that will occupy an existing parking lot at 72nd Street.<\/p>\n

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Suarez helped push for a resident parking program in North Beach that took effect in 2024.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He proposed offering residents a one-time warning within that area, rather than the three non-safety violations that will be allowed elsewhere before towing kicks in. But Fernandez said he would prefer to give residents \u201cthe benefit of the doubt\u201d and await data once the program begins to determine whether people are abusing it. Suarez ultimately agreed to that approach.<\/p>\n

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Getting towed in Miami Beach can come with a more than $500 price tag, including a $274 towing rate, $150 administrative fee, $33 fee to the city and $45 charge for outside storage beyond six hours. Miami Beach residents can pay a discounted towing rate of $150 and have the administrative fee waived if they show a driver\u2019s license and registration at a valid city address.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn many situations, a simple text notification can correct a violation faster than waiting for a tow truck to arrive, while also sparing residents unnecessary financial hardship, lost time, and frustration,\u201d Fernandez said Sunday in an email to residents.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While city commissioners are taking a more lenient approach to the towing of residents, they\u2019re also cracking down on parking rules related to loading zones for freight and commercial vehicles. City officials have said that abuse of the loading zones can create safety hazards and block the flow of traffic.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As part of last week\u2019s discussion on parking, commissioners approved new penalties for freight loading zone violations: $1,000 for a first offense, rather than a warning; $5,000 for a second offense, rather than $150; and $15,000 if a special magistrate rules that a vehicle has blocked traffic beyond a \u201cmomentary obstruction.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Officials also created standardized freight loading zone hours citywide, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday.<\/p>\n

Read more South Florida dogs are getting high from THC exposure<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Miami Beach residents in the city\u2019s parking program won\u2019t be towed for non-safety violations under a program aimed at reducing tows and improving compliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miami-beach"],"yoast_head":"\nMiami Beach to reduce towing of residents\u2019 cars. 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