Junior sociology major Katie Delgatto has experienced the big, orange warning stickers, the “close calls” and the real deal: getting her car towed.

Some people get their cars towed because their vehicle died and needs to be taken in for repairs; other times, people decide to park where they know it is prohibited and occasionally, people are wrongfully towed.

But when caught in an instance like Delgatto’s, knowing the towing process — how to retrieve a towed vehicle, the cost and the circumstance — is helpful.

Jon Bockman, owner of Bockman’s Auto Care, 705 E. Lincoln Highway, said if a car needs to be towed for repairs, the owner must call their repair shop first. Then, a tow truck comes to retrieve the vehicle and meet the customer. The car is brought into the shop, given an estimate for the repairs, fixed and released to the owner, he said.

As for the cost of the towing service, some motor club members are covered.

“I know that private towing in DeKalb within a 5 mile radius costs $65,” Bockman said. “But we just include the towing cost into the bill, and sometimes the motor club member’s insurance covers it and ends up reimbursing them.”

Motor club towing and private towing are not the same thing, though.

Private tow companies retrieve cars from apartment and business parking lots that are not permitted to park there.

Delgatto was parked in a hotel lot across from a friend’s apartment complex for a few hours. In the morning, the space where she had last seen her car was empty.

“First, I had to call the towing company listed on the sign to verify that they had my car,” Delgatto said. “Then I had to walk home and get a ride from a friend to the towing place. I only had cards on me because I didn’t know they only took cash at that time, so I had to leave and come back again. But the people were nice, I paid the fine, and they finally released my car back to me.”

If a car is wrongfully towed, police can help.

“If someone thinks they have been wrongfully or illegally towed, they should call the police department,” said DeKalb Police Sgt. Jim McDougall. “We mediate between the person and the towing company to reach a settlement, fill out a report and send it to the city attorney’s office.”

But wrongfully towed or not, students and residents should be aware of where they can and cannot park and the towing process.

“I learned my lesson from this whole process,” Delgatto said. “I learned not to park places I’m not supposed to, and I won’t do that again.”