Motor vehicles, unclaimed, towing, towing company may notify the Revenue Department on the Unclaimed/Abandoned Vehicle Portal immediately after towing
SB152 amends Alabama’s unclaimed motor vehicle law to allow a person or towing company in possession of a vehicle after towing it to report the vehicle as unclaimed to the Department of Revenue immediately after the tow, rather than waiting up to five calendar days. The bill keeps the existing framework for identifying when a vehicle is considered unclaimed, including vehicles left unattended on roads, on private or public property without consent, or unreclaimed after repairs on private property.
The bill also preserves and restates the notice and title-hold process that follows an unclaimed-vehicle report. Once reported, the Department of Revenue must place a 60-day hold on the title record, and the reporting party must use NMVTIS and other records requests to identify the owner and lienholder, then send certified-mail or electronically confirmed notice with required information about the vehicle, storage charges, and redemption rights. If the vehicle is not redeemed within 30 days after notice, it may be treated as abandoned and sold under the Alabama Abandoned Motor Vehicle Act.
SB152 would amend Section 32-8-84 of the Code of Alabama 1975, changing the timing of notice to the Department of Revenue for vehicles that have been towed and are considered unclaimed. It would give towing operators and other possessors a faster reporting option while leaving the broader abandoned-vehicle, title-hold, notice, and lien-forfeiture rules in place. The bill would affect towing companies, storage facilities, vehicle owners, lienholders, and the Department of Revenue’s unclaimed/abandoned vehicle portal and title-processing procedures.
The available context suggests the bill was a relatively narrow administrative/procedural proposal focused on streamlining towing-related reporting. The caption indicates support for allowing towing companies to notify the Revenue Department immediately after towing, which suggests an efficiency-oriented purpose rather than a major policy change. However, the bill’s final status as indefinitely postponed indicates it did not advance, and there is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials to show broader support or opposition.
The main point of potential contention is the shortened reporting timeline for towed vehicles. Supporters would likely view immediate reporting as a practical improvement that helps towing companies, storage operators, and the Department of Revenue process abandoned vehicles faster. Opponents or cautious stakeholders could be concerned about whether immediate reporting could accelerate title holds and notice procedures before an owner has had adequate opportunity to reclaim the vehicle, though the bill still preserves the 60-day title hold and owner-notice requirements. No specific objections are recorded in the provided transcripts.