Sec. 19. (a) Within three (3) business days after removal of a vehicle to a storage yard or towing service under section 13, 14, 16, or 31 of this chapter or IC 9-22-6, the public agency or towing service shall conduct a search of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System or an equivalent and commonly available data base to attempt to obtain the last state of record of the vehicle in order to attempt to ascertain the name and address of the person who owns or holds a lien on the vehicle.

     (b) A public agency or towing service that obtains the name and address of the owner of or lienholder on a vehicle shall, not later than three (3) business days after obtaining the name and address, notify the owner of the vehicle and any lienholder on the vehicle, as indicated by the certificate of title or discovered by a search under subsection (a), of the following:

(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the public agency or towing service.

(2) That storage charges are being accrued and the vehicle is subject to sale if the vehicle is not claimed and the charges are not paid.

(3) The earliest possible date and location of the public sale or auction.

The notice must be made by certified mail or a certificate of mailing or by means of an electronic service approved by the bureau. Notwithstanding section 4 of this chapter, a public agency or towing service that fails to notify the owner of or lienholder on the vehicle as set forth in this subsection may not collect additional storage costs incurred after the date of receipt of the name and address obtained.

[Pre-1991 Recodification Citation: 9-9-1.1-6(a).]

As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.10. Amended by P.L.66-1992, SEC.6; P.L.78-2003, SEC.1; P.L.104-2005, SEC.7; P.L.191-2007, SEC.14; P.L.125-2012, SEC.123; P.L.62-2014, SEC.2; P.L.157-2017, SEC.3; P.L.281-2019, SEC.2; P.L.118-2022, SEC.25.