Following a case brought by Juan de Jesus Javier Polanco, who alleged that it was unconstitutional for the Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) to retain vehicles without a court order, the Constitutional Court has said that it is illegal for vehicles to be impounded following a traffic violation and that there should just be a fine instead.
They said that if a vehicle was illegally parked, the first step should be to find the driver and ask him or her to move the vehicle. In cases where the driver could not be found the vehicle could be moved but only to a place that is close enough to its original location so that the driver could see it when he or she returned. The new parking place should be a safe place to park. If there is no safe place to park the vehicle nearby they could then take the vehicle into custody until the owner pays the fine to reclaim it.
If the owner does not reclaim the vehicle within 60 days then the car can be sold at public auction to cover the removal and storage costs.
A vehicle can be confiscated if it does not have vehicle tax, has a license plate that belongs to another vehicle, if the chassis number has been erased, or if it has been involved in a traffic accident and the driver has fled the scene.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2015/3/9/359298/TC-prohibe-a-la-Amet-retener-vehiculos-por-violar-la-Ley-241