Private property impound in Milwaukee, for property owners

What is a private property impound in Milwaukee?

In plain terms, it's the removal of a vehicle that's parked on private land without the landowner's permission, at the landowner's request. The land can be a house lot, a driveway, an apartment building's parking area, a store's customer lot, a commercial yard or any other property you own. The vehicle can be a car, pickup, van or SUV that doesn't belong to you and that you never agreed to have there. KMK Towing & Recovery offers this service to residential and commercial property owners across Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.

It's a narrow service, and KMK keeps it narrow. KMK doesn't advertise towing. The business is a cash buyer of junk, wrecked and unwanted cars, and the free pickup you'll read about elsewhere on this site is the pickup of a car KMK is buying. Private property impound is a separate service, limited to people who can prove they own the land the vehicle is sitting on.

KMK doesn't tell you the law. Your municipality is the place to ask about any rules for removing a vehicle from private property, and whether the vehicle counts as abandoned. KMK points you there rather than summarizing those rules here.

Who can ask KMK to remove an unauthorized vehicle?

Residential and commercial property owners. On the residential side that's the owner of a house, a duplex or a rental property. On the commercial side it's the owner of a shop, a restaurant, an office building, a warehouse, a storage lot, an apartment building or a vacant lot. In each case, the person asking has to be the person whose name is on the proof of ownership and on the ID that goes with it.

That requirement is the whole point. A vehicle removal is a serious thing to do to someone else's car, and KMK only does it for the person with the right to ask. If you manage a property for an owner, rent a space or sit on a condo board, the property owner is the person who has to show the proof.

If the vehicle is on a public street, an alley the city owns or a parking space that isn't part of your property, this service doesn't apply, because it isn't private property. Ask your municipality about a vehicle on the street.

What proof do I need to show for a private property vehicle removal?

Proof that you own the property, such as a property tax bill or a water bill in your name, and your ID with the same name. Those two documents are what Keith asks for, and the name on the bill has to match the name on the ID. The bill should be for the property the vehicle is sitting on, not for a different address you also own.

If you don't have a tax bill or water bill handy, ask on the call what else works. The requirement is proof of ownership of the property, and those two bills are the examples Keith gave. KMK isn't going to guess on your behalf, so the safest move is to have one of those two bills and your ID ready before the truck is booked.

Ask Keith on the call when and how to show it. If the name doesn't match, or the bill is for a different property, the removal doesn't happen. That's not KMK being difficult. It's the one safeguard that keeps a private property impound from becoming a mistake.

Is the car on my property abandoned, or just unauthorized?

They feel the same when it's sitting on your land, but the words describe different situations. An unauthorized vehicle is one that's parked where you didn't allow it, and its owner may be around, parking there on purpose or by mistake. An abandoned vehicle is one that's been left with nobody coming back for it, often for weeks, often with flat tires or expired plates. Your municipality can tell you whether that difference matters at your address.

The place to settle that question is your municipality. Ask them what the process is for an abandoned vehicle on private property and what a property owner is expected to do before an unauthorized vehicle is removed. KMK doesn't restate those rules here. Once you've done that, call (414) 391-4900 with your proof of ownership ready.

One more possibility: the car on your property is yours. A dead car in your own garage, a relative's old sedan left to you, a vehicle you bought for parts and never touched. That isn't an impound, it's a sale. KMK buys junk, wrecked and unwanted cars for cash in Milwaukee and surrounding counties, with free pickup and cash on the spot. Call the same number and tell Keith the car is yours.

What does KMK not do under private property impound?

KMK doesn't advertise roadside towing, accident recovery or tow-for-hire, and doesn't take bookings for any of those. If your own car broke down on the road or you were in a crash, that's not what this service is for. If your broken-down car is one you'd rather sell than fix, KMK buys it for cash and the pickup is free, but that's the junk car service, not this one.

KMK doesn't remove a vehicle from a public street, from a neighbor's land or from any property you can't prove you own. It doesn't act on a neighbor's say-so, a passerby's complaint or a phone call with no proof behind it. And it doesn't tell you what the law requires before a removal. Your municipality is the source for that.

KMK also doesn't publish a price, a response time, storage terms or what happens to the vehicle after it leaves your property. Every one of those is answered on the call, for your specific situation, by the business that owns the trucks.

How does a private property vehicle removal work with KMK?

First, check with your municipality about any rules for your address. Second, call (414) 391-4900. KMK is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can call when the problem is in front of you rather than waiting for a business day. Describe the vehicle, where it's sitting and the property it's on.

Third, gather your proof: a property tax bill or a water bill in your name for that property, and your ID. Fourth, show the proof. KMK checks the bill against your ID before the vehicle is touched. Fifth, a KMK truck removes the unauthorized vehicle from your property. Keith Kwitek schedules the truck, and the drivers, Marvin and Nick, are KMK's own.

Everything else about your removal, from cost to timing to what happens next, is settled on the call. Those questions get answered for your actual lot, your actual vehicle and your actual municipality, not with a generic answer printed here that turns out to be wrong for you.

Why use KMK for private property vehicle removal in Milwaukee?

Because it's a local business you can check. KMK has operated in Milwaukee since March 2014 and from the same yard at 8517 W Kaul Ave since December 2014. The trucks are owned by Keith Kwitek, the owner of the business, and the number you call is the number that reaches the business. There's a 4.8 rating from 506 Google reviews, public for anyone to read, and the phrases that keep coming up in them are a truck that came on time and a sale that was quick and easy.

Because KMK is clear about the limits. A property-owner service with a proof requirement, offered across Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine and Kenosha counties, with no made-up rules, and no roadside towing or tow-for-hire advertised. If that's what you need, call (414) 391-4900 with your tax bill or water bill and your ID ready, and you'll have the next steps before you hang up.