Vehicle Release Process Guide

Process Vehicle Releases Smoothly & Accurately!

Releasing an impounded vehicle involves calculating fees, recording payment, capturing recipient details, and optionally getting a signature. ParkPlus streamlines this entire process, ensuring accuracy and creating a complete digital record for every release.

Why it's efficient: Automates fee calculation, provides a clear workflow, captures necessary information digitally, and locks the record upon completion.

Accessing the Release Page:

When a vehicle owner comes to retrieve their vehicle:

Find the corresponding tow record in the main 'Tows' list.
Click on the tow record to view its details (the 'Tow Configuration' page).
Look for a button or link labeled "Release Vehicle", "Go to Release", or similar, and click it.

This takes you to the dedicated 'Release Vehicle' page for that specific tow.

Understanding the Release Invoice:

The top section of the release page displays the automatically calculated invoice. ParkPlus calculates this based on:

Base Tow Fee: From the assigned 'Pricing Configuration'.
Selected Extras: Charges like dollies, winching, etc.
Storage Fees: Calculated based on time in yard and daily rate (grace period may apply).
Drop Fee (if applicable): If the tow 'Type' was 'Drop Fee'.

The page shows an itemized list and the Total Amount Due.

Fees are based entirely on the 'Pricing Configuration' selected when the tow was created or last updated. Ensure the correct pricing was assigned!

Processing the Release:

Once the owner is ready to pay and retrieve the vehicle:

Select Payment Method: Choose how the owner paid (e.g., Cash, Credit Card) from the dropdown menu. Required
Enter Recipient Information: Fill in the details of the person picking up the vehicle:
- Name
- Driver's License Number
- Phone Number
- Address
Require Signature? (Optional): Check the box labeled "Require Release Signature" if you want digital proof of pickup. Recommended!
Confirm Release: Click the "Confirm Release" or "Submit" button.

After Confirmation:

The system saves payment, recipient details, and timestamps the release.
The tow's status is permanently changed to 'Released'.
A notification email is sent (if configured).
If Signature Was Required: You're redirected to capture the signature digitally. After saving, you return to the read-only release page.
If Signature Was NOT Required: You're redirected back to the release page, now showing the saved details.

Release Complete & Locked: Once confirmed, the release details and the original tow configuration become read-only to preserve the final record.

Undoing a Release (Admin Only):

This action requires 'Admin' privileges and should be used with extreme caution (e.g., if a release was confirmed entirely by mistake).

If a release needs to be reversed:

Go to Release Page: Navigate to the 'Release Vehicle' page for the already released tow.
Find "Undo Release": Look for an "Undo Release" button (only visible to Admins).
Click Button: Click the "Undo Release" button.
System Reverts: The system reverts the status (e.g., to 'At Yard'), clears invoice/recipient/signature data.
Tow Becomes Active: The tow record is now active and editable again.

Back to Towing Docs Next: Pricing & Settings