HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2746

                       As Passed House

                      February 17, 1992

Title:  An act relating to payment of charges for private impounds.

Brief Description:  Authorizing contracts between tow truck operators and landowners for payment of impound charges.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Zellinsky, R. Fisher, Ballard, Van Luven and Ferguson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 10, 1992, DP;

Passed House, February 17, 1992, 92-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Haugen; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Kremen; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Prince; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Minority Report: Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Heavey.

Staff:  Brad Lovaas (786-7307).

Background:  No registered tow truck operator may receive compensation from a private property landowner or his or her agent for impounding a vehicle.  The provision is to prevent collusion between landowners and tow truck operators.

Many tow truck operators will not respond to calls from private property landowners to remove abandoned junk vehicles because the tow truck operator cannot recover incurred cost of the junk vehicle from the registered vehicle owner who has abandoned the junk vehicle.

Summary of Bill:  In limited situations a landowner may pay a tow truck operator for removal of a vehicle that has an approximate fair market value equal to the scrap value in it.  The vehicle must be impounded in the manner currently prescribed in statute.  Any compensation from the landowner must be deducted from the amount of the vehicle lien resulting from impoundment and storage charges.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This provision will aid in the removal of junk vehicles from private property.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Stu Halsan, Washington Tow Truck Association; and Al Runte, Ibsen Towing and Washington Tow Truck Association.