An Act To Require Timely Notification of Owners of Motor Vehicles That Have Been Towed
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1251
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McLEAN
Amends: 29-A MRSA §1863

Legislative Document
No. 1251
H.P. 874
House of Representatives, March 30, 2017
An Act To Require Timely Notification of Owners of Motor Vehicles 
That Have Been Towed
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McLEAN of Gorham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §1863 is enacted to read: 
§1863.  Towed vehicles 
1.  Notification of owner or lienholder.  Before notifying the Secretary of State 
under section 1854, subsection 1, a person who tows a motor vehicle or stores a motor 
vehicle that has been towed under section 1851, subsection 2 or 3 as soon as practicable 
after the vehicle has been towed or a person who tows a motor vehicle or stores a motor 
vehicle that has been towed for snow removal purposes, as soon as practicable after 48 
hours immediately following completion of the tow, shall attempt to notify the motor 
vehicle owner or lienholder of the person's possession of the motor vehicle and that the 
owner or lienholder is required to retrieve the motor vehicle and pay all towing, storage 
and authorized repair charges.  The person shall inform the owner or lienholder that the 
person is required to notify the Secretary of State of the abandonment of the motor 
vehicle and that the owner or lienholder risks losing title to the motor vehicle within 14 
days of the receipt of notification if the owner or lienholder does not retrieve the motor 
vehicle and pay all towing, storing and authorized repair charges. 
2.  Waiver of towing or storage fees.  Any towing or storage fee incurred in towing 
or storing a motor vehicle under subsection 1 is waived if the person who tows or stores a 
motor vehicle that has been towed under subsection 1: 
A.  Does not comply with subsection 1 unless the person proves by a preponderance 
of the evidence that the person has made a good faith effort to comply with 
subsection 1; or  
B.  Does not comply with section 1854, subsection 1 within 14 days after receipt of 
the motor vehicle unless the person proves by a preponderance of the evidence that 
the person has made a good faith effort to comply with section 1854, subsection 1 
within 14 days after receipt of the motor vehicle. 
3.  Contact information.  The Secretary of State shall make available current contact 
information of a motor vehicle owner or lienholder under subsection 1 to a person 
required to contact the owner or lienholder under subsection 1. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires a person who tows a motor vehicle or stores a motor vehicle that 
has been towed due to being illegally parked or left standing, at the direction of a law 
enforcement officer or due to being left on property without permission as soon as 
practicable after receipt of the motor vehicle to notify the owner or lienholder of the need 
to retrieve the motor vehicle and pay all towing, storage and authorized repair charges or 
risk losing title to the vehicle. The bill requires waiver of any towing or storage fee if 
notification to the owner or lienholder has not been timely made or if the notification to 
the Secretary of State has not been made within 14 days after receipt of the vehicle as 
required by law unless the person who tows or stores the towed vehicle makes a good 
faith attempt to notify the owner or lienholder and notify the Secretary of State.