Private property towing. Done by the book.

Yes, when it's done right, and Illinois is unusually specific about what right means. Under 625 ILCS 5/18a a private-property tow is a relocation, performed only by a commercial vehicle relocator licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will and Winnebago counties. The property has to post a sign at least 24 inches high by 36 inches wide, mounted at least 4 feet but less than 8 feet off the ground, illuminated or painted with reflective paint or both, naming the relocator and stating the towing charge. Removing a vehicle from a property without those signs is unlawful. The relocator, not this matcher, is the licensee who has to follow the rest of that chapter.

Yes. HOAs are a frequent private-property client type. A licensed relocator audits the existing signage, updates the parking rules with the board, and sets a patrol schedule that fits the community. Board members don't make the tow call; the relocator does, per the agreed rules.

If there's a signed property management agreement with a licensed relocator, yes. The property manager (or a designated contact) calls, confirms the vehicle and the violation, and we connect that call to a relocator who holds the Illinois licence. Without an agreement on file, a relocator can't legally tow from a property they don't have under contract.

They pay the release fee at the operator's lot and get the car back, with full paperwork. An operator only tows after the sign check. If a resident calls in a good-faith mistake (permit in glove box, etc.), the release is handled professionally and the situation documented. Property managers can also preauthorize per-vehicle exceptions.

That is a completely different process. A City of Chicago tow goes to one of four city pounds, all open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the fees are published under Municipal Code 9-92-080: $250 to tow a vehicle under 8,000 pounds, $350 at 8,000 pounds or more, and $50 or $100 per day storage on the same split. Call 311 to find out which pound has it, because the city also relocates vehicles rather than impounding them. In a suburb the tow goes to that village's own impound with its own administrative fee, which isn't the Chicago schedule. Once your car is released, call us for the onward tow.