Assigned to TRANS                                                                                                                    FOR COMMITTEE

 

 


 

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Phoenix, Arizona

 

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1174

 

abandoned vehicles; payment of costs

 

Purpose

 

Requires reimbursements of reasonable storage costs and processing fees for vehicles abandoned on federal, state, public or private property.

 

Background

 

Statute defines an abandoned vehicle as a vehicle left unattended for more than 72 hours on public or private land.  A person in possession of a vehicle may either file an abandoned vehicle report directly with the Motor Vehicle Division or privately contract with a towing agency to have the vehicle removed.  In both cases, an abandoned vehicle report must be filed, which requires a processing fee of ten dollars.  In addition to the ten dollar abandoned vehicle processing fee, the person in possession of the abandoned vehicle must undertake the storage of the vehicle or contracts with a towing agency to store the vehicle.

 

Currently, there is no mechanism for a person in possession of an abandoned vehicle to recover costs incurred in processing abandoned vehicle reports and for storing abandoned

vehicles.

 

Any fiscal impact to the state general fund that may be associated with the implementation of this bill is unknown at this time.

 

Provisions

 

1.      Entitles the property owner to a reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred for abandoned vehicle storage and fees incurred for processing an abandoned vehicle report prior to removal of the vehicle.

 

2.      Requires a notice of vehicle abandonment and a notice of intention to transfer title to be given before any reimbursement of costs.

 

3.      Makes conforming changes.

 

4.      Provides for a general effective date.

 

 

Prepared by Senate Staff

January 23, 2001