An Act Regarding Abandoned Vehicles Due to Involuntary
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0831
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MOORE
Amends: 29-A MRSA §1857-A

Legislative Document
No. 831
S.P. 361
In Senate, March 4, 2025
An Act Regarding Abandoned Vehicles Due to Involuntary 
Psychiatric Hospitalization
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MOORE of Washington.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, CRAFTS of Newcastle, 
GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, MCCABE of Lewiston.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §1857-A is enacted to read:
§1857-A.  Disposition of vehicle when owner is involuntarily hospitalized
1. Abandonment; involuntary hospitalization. Notwithstanding section 1852, if the 
owner of the premises where a vehicle described in section 1851 is located or the owner's 
agent has been notified that the vehicle owner is hospitalized pursuant to the process set 
forth in Title 34-B, chapter 3, subchapter 4, article 3, the vehicle is considered abandoned 
if the owner or lienholder does not retrieve and pay all reasonable charges for towing, 
storing and authorized repair of the vehicle within 120 days after the notices to the owner 
and lienholder are sent by the Secretary of State or 120 days after the advertisement is 
published as required in section 1854, subsection 4.  There is a rebuttable presumption that 
the last owner of record of a vehicle found abandoned as shown in the files of the office of 
the Secretary of State is the vehicle owner at the time it was abandoned and the person who 
abandoned it.
2. Notification of vehicle owner. The owner of the premises where a vehicle described 
in section 1851 is located, or the owner's agent, shall include any notice described in 
subsection 1 in the notice required pursuant to section 1854.
3. Change of ownership. Notwithstanding section 1856, the Secretary of State may 
not issue a letter of ownership or certificate of title until at least 120 days after the date on 
which the person who has possession of and control over the vehicle notified the Secretary 
of State by complying with section 1854, subsection 1 or 1‑A and section 1854, subsection 
2.
4. Limits. Notwithstanding section 1857, if the vehicle owner has provided notice 
pursuant to subsection 1, the daily total storage charges must be reasonable and total storage 
charges may not exceed:
A. Six hundred dollars for the initial 30-day period; and
B. Fifteen hundred dollars for each subsequent 30-day period.
5. Notification of involuntary hospitalization. For purposes of this section, a notice 
of involuntary hospitalization may be provided in writing by:
A. The hospital; or
B. The vehicle owner or another individual authorized by the vehicle owner with 
supporting documentation of involuntary hospitalization.
SUMMARY
This bill allows a period of 120 days before the Secretary of State determines that a 
vehicle is abandoned if the vehicle owner is involuntarily hospitalized. The notification of 
involuntary hospitalization, which must be provided to the Secretary to State, may come 
from the owner of the vehicle, the hospital or another person authorized by the owner of 
the vehicle. The bill prohibits the Secretary of State from issuing a letter of ownership or 
certificate of title until at least 120 days after the date on which the owner of the premises 
where a vehicle has been abandoned, or the owner's agent, has been notified that the vehicle 
owner is involuntarily hospitalized. The bill also reduces the total storage charges to $600 
for the first 30 days of storage and specifies the total storage charges may not exceed $1,500 
for each subsequent 30-day period.