H-1650.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1507
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1993 Regular Session
By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Zellinsky, Ballard, Chappell, Van Luven, R. Johnson, Campbell, R. Meyers, Springer and Sheldon)
Read first time 02/22/93.
AN ACT Relating to abandoned, unauthorized, or junk vehicles; adding a new section to chapter 46.55 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.55 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The abandonment of any vehicle creates a prima facie presumption that the last registered owner of record is responsible for the abandonment and is liable for costs incurred in removing, storing, and disposing of the abandoned vehicle, less amounts realized at auction.
(2) If an unauthorized vehicle is found abandoned under subsection (1) of this section, the last registered owner of record is guilty of a traffic infraction under chapter 46.63 RCW, unless the vehicle is redeemed after impound as provided in RCW 46.55.120. In addition to the monetary penalty payable under that chapter, the person found to have committed the infraction is also liable for a deficiency remaining after disposal of the vehicle under RCW 46.55.140.
(3) Filing a report of sale or transfer regarding the vehicle involved in accordance with RCW 46.12.101(1) or a vehicle theft report filed with a law enforcement agency relieves the last registered owner of liability under subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
(4) For the purposes of RCW 46.63.070(5)(b), a traffic infraction under subsection (2) of this section is a moving violation and is not considered to be a standing, stopping, or parking violation.
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