(A) A proprietor, an owner, or an operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or furnishes any material for repairs to an article may sell the article at public auction to the highest bidder if:

(1) the article has been left at the shop for repairs or storage and the repairs have been completed or the storage contract has expired;

(2) the article has been continuously retained in his possession; and

(3) thirty days have passed since written notice was given to the owner of the article and to any lienholder by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or certified mail with electronic tracking that the repairs have been completed or the storage contract has expired.

The article must be sold by a magistrate of the county in which the repairs were done or the article was stored.

(B) A proprietor, owner, or operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or furnishes materials for repairs to an article may charge the owner and lienholder for only such storage costs that accrue for a maximum period of seven (7) business days before notice of the location of the article is sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or certified mail with electronic tracking to the owner and lienholders of the article. No other storage costs can be charged to the owner or lienholders for such time period before the notice of the location of the article is sent to the owner and lienholders. The notice must be sent within five business days after receiving the owner’s and lienholder’s identities from the search required in subsection (C). The notice must include a description of the article and the amount of daily storage costs that will accrue after the notice is sent. A proprietor, owner, or operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or furnishes materials for repairs to an article may charge the owner and lienholders storage costs that accrue for the time period after such notice is sent as required herein.

(C)(1) Before the article is sold, the proprietor, owner, or operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs to the article must apply to the appropriate titling facility for the name and address of any owner or lienholder. The appropriate titling facility may include, but is not limited to:

(a) the Department of Motor Vehicles;

(b) a vendor authorized by the DMV to provide real-time access to title and lienholder information;

(c) if the vehicle is not titled in South Carolina, the titling governmental entity in the state in which the vehicle was last titled as provided by a search of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS);

(d) if the vehicle is not titled in South Carolina, a vendor authorized by the state in which the vehicle was last titled to provide real-time access to the most current title and lienholder information; or

(e) the Department of Natural Resources.

(2) For nontitled articles, where the owner’s name is known, a search must be conducted through the Secretary of State’s Office to determine any lienholders. The application must be on prescribed forms as required by the appropriate titling facility or the Secretary of State. If the article has an out-of-state registration, an application must be made to that state’s appropriate titling facility. When the article is not titled in this State and does not have a registration from another state, the proprietor, owner, or operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs to the article may apply to the sheriff or chief of police in the jurisdiction where the article is stored to determine the state where the article is registered. The sheriff or chief of police shall conduct a records search. This search must include, but is not limited to, a search on the National Crime Information Center and any other appropriate search that may be conducted with the article’s identification number. The sheriff or chief of police must supply, at no cost to the proprietor, owner, or operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs the name of the state in which the article is titled.

(D) The magistrate, before selling the article, shall ensure that the owner or any lienholder of record has been notified of the pending sale. The magistrate must advertise the article for at least fifteen days by posting a notice in three public places in his township. The magistrate must pay to the proprietor, owner, or operator of any towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs to the article the money due, receiving a receipt in return. Any remainder of the sale proceeds must be held by the magistrate for the owner of the vehicle or entitled lienholder for ninety days. The magistrate must notify the owner and all lienholders by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or certified mail with electronic tracking, that the article owner or lienholder has ninety days to claim the proceeds from the sale of the article. If the article proceeds are not collected within ninety days from the day after the notice to the owner and all lienholders is mailed, then the article proceeds must be deposited in the general fund of the county or municipality.

(E) A proprietor, an owner, or an operator of the towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs to the article may hold the license tag of any vehicle until all towing and storage costs allowed under this section have been paid, or if the vehicle is not reclaimed, until it is declared abandoned and sold.

(F) A proprietor, an owner, or an operator of the towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop, or any person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs to the article must place a minimum bid of one dollar on the article being sold at public auction. If no higher bid is offered, the article must be awarded to the proprietor, owner, operator, or person who repairs or who furnishes material for repairs to the article at no cost.

(G) For purposes of this section, "article" means a motor vehicle, trailer, mobile home, watercraft, or other item or object that is subject to towing, storage, or repair and applies to any article in custody at the time of the enactment of this section. "Article" includes:

(1) an item that is towed and left in the possession of a towing, storage, garage, or repair facility; and

(2) personal property affixed to the article.