AN ACT Relating to impoundment and disposition of unauthorized, abandoned, junk, and other vehicles; amending RCW 46.55.010, 46.55.030, 46.55.060, 46.55.070, 46.55.080, 46.55.090, 46.55.100, 46.55.110, 46.55.130, 46.55.140, 46.55.150, 46.55.170, 46.55.200, 46.55.210, 46.55.220, 46.55.230, and 46.55.240; adding a new section to chapter 46.55 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 1, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.010 are each amended to read as follows:

The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter:

(1) "Abandoned vehicle" means a vehicle that a registered tow truck operator has impounded and held in his possession for ninety-six consecutive hours.

(2) "Abandoned vehicle report" means the document prescribed by the state that the towing operator forwards to the department after a vehicle has become abandoned.

(3) "Commission" means the state commission on equipment established under RCW 46.37.005.

(4) "Impound" means to take and hold a vehicle in legal custody. There are two types of impounds--public and private.

(a) "Public impound" means that the vehicle has been impounded at the direction of a law enforcement officer or ((~~other~~)) by a public official having jurisdiction over the public property upon which the vehicle was located.

(b) "Private impound" means that the vehicle has been impounded at the direction of a person having control or possession of the private property upon which the vehicle was located.

(5) "Junk vehicle" means a motor vehicle certified under RCW 46.55.230 as meeting all the following requirements:

(a) Is three years old or older;

(b) Is extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited to any of the following: A broken window or windshield or missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission;

(d) Is without a valid, current registration plate;

(e) Has a fair market value equal only to the value of the scrap in it.

(6) "Registered tow truck operator" or "operator" means any person who engages in the impounding, transporting, or storage of ((~~unauthorized~~)) vehicles or the disposal of abandoned vehicles.

(7) "Residential property" means property that has no more than four living units located on it.

(8) "Tow truck" means a motor vehicle that is equipped for and used in the business of towing vehicles with equipment as approved by the commission.

(9) "Tow truck number" means the number issued by the department to tow trucks used by a registered tow truck operator in the state of Washington.

(10) "Tow truck permit" means the permit issued annually by the department that has the classification of service the tow truck may provide stamped upon it.

(11) "Tow truck service" means the transporting upon the public streets and highways of this state of ((~~unauthorized~~)) vehicles, together with personal effects and cargo, by a tow truck of a registered operator.

(12) "Unauthorized vehicle" means a vehicle that is subject to impoundment after being left unattended in one of the following public or private locations for the indicated period of time:

!tp3,1 !tcSubject!sc ,1to!sc ,1removal!sc ,1after:

!ix(a) Public locations:

!ix(i) Constituting a traffic hazard as

!sc ,3defined in RCW 46.61.565!w× !tlImmediately

!ix(ii) On a highway and tagged as

!sc ,3described in RCW 46.52.170 !w× !tl24 hours

!ix(iii) In a publicly owned or controlled

!sc ,3parking facility, properly posted

!sc ,3under RCW 46.55.070!w× !tlImmediately

!ix(b) Private locations:

!ix(i) On residential property!w× !tlImmediately

!ix(ii) On private, nonresidential property,

!sc ,3properly posted under RCW 46.55.070!w× !tlImmediately

!ix(iii) On private, nonresidential property,

!sc ,3not posted!w× !tl24 hours!te

!ix

Sec. 2. Section 3, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.030 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Application for licensing as a registered tow truck operator shall be made on forms furnished by the department, shall be accompanied by an inspection certification from the Washington state patrol, shall be signed by the applicant or his agent, and shall include the following information:

(a) The name and address of the person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation under whose name the business is to be conducted;

(b) The names and addresses of all persons having an interest in the business, or if the owner is a corporation, the names and addresses of the officers of the corporation;

(d) Proof of minimum insurance required by subsection (3) of this section;

(e) Any other information the department may require; and

(f) A certificate of approval from the chief of police if the applicant's principal place of business is located in a city or town having a population over five thousand persons or, in all other instances, from a member of the Washington state patrol, certifying that:

(i) The applicant has an established place of business at the address shown on the application;

(ii) The place of business has an office area that is accessible to the public without entering the storage area; and

(iii) The place of business has adequate and secure storage facilities, as defined in this chapter and the rules of the department, where vehicles and their contents can be properly stored and protected.

(2) Before issuing a registration certificate to an applicant the department shall require the applicant to file with the department a surety bond in the amount of five thousand dollars running to the state and executed by a surety company authorized to do business in this state. The bond shall be approved as to form by the attorney general and conditioned that the operator shall conduct his business in conformity with the provisions of this chapter ((~~pertaining to abandoned or unauthorized vehicles,~~)) and to compensate any person, company, or the state for failure to comply with this chapter or the rules adopted hereunder, or for fraud, negligence, or misrepresentation in the handling of ((~~these~~)) vehicles. Any person injured by the tow truck operator's failure to fully perform duties imposed by this chapter and the rules adopted hereunder, or an ordinance or resolution adopted by a city, town, or county is entitled to recover actual damages, including reasonable attorney's fees against the surety and the tow truck operator. Successive recoveries against the bond shall be permitted, but the aggregate liability of the surety to all persons shall not exceed the amount of the bond. As a condition of authority to do business, the operator shall keep the bond in full force and effect. Failure to maintain the penalty value of the bond or cancellation of the bond by the surety automatically cancels the operator's registration.

(3) Before the department may issue a registration certificate to an applicant, the applicant shall provide proof of minimum insurance requirements of:

(a) Two hundred fifty thousand dollars for liability for bodily injury or property damage per occurrence; and

(b) One hundred thousand dollars of legal liability per occurrence, to protect against vehicle damage, including but not limited to fire and theft, from the time a vehicle comes into the custody of an operator until it is redeemed or sold.

(4) The fee for each original registration and annual renewal is one hundred dollars per company, plus fifty dollars per truck. The department shall forward the registration fee to the state treasurer for deposit in the motor vehicle fund.

(5) Upon approval of the application, the department shall issue a registration certificate to the registered operator to be displayed prominently at the operator's place of business.

Sec. 3. Section 6, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.060 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The address that the tow truck operator lists on his or her application shall be the business location of the firm where its files are kept. Each separate business location requires a separate registration under this chapter. The application shall also list all locations of secure areas for vehicle storage and redemption.

(2) At the business locations listed where vehicles may be redeemed, the registered operator shall post in a conspicuous and accessible location:

(a) All pertinent licenses and permits to operate as a registered tow truck operator;

(b) The current towing and storage charges itemized on a form approved by the department;

(d) Information supplied by the department as to where complaints regarding either equipment or service are to be directed;

(e) Information concerning the acceptance of commercially reasonable tender as defined in RCW 46.55.120(1)(b).

(3) Ten days before the effective date of any change in an operator's fee schedule, the registered tow truck operator shall file the revised fee schedule with the department.

(4) The department shall adopt rules concerning fencing and security requirements of storage areas, which may provide for modifications or exemptions where needed to achieve compliance with local zoning laws.

(5) On any day when the registered tow truck operator holds the towing services open for business, the business office shall remain open with personnel present who are able to release impounded vehicles in accordance with this chapter and the rules adopted under it.

(6) A registered tow truck operator shall maintain personnel who can be contacted twenty-four hours a day to release impounded vehicles within a reasonable time.

(7) Towing contracts with private property owners shall be in written form and state the hours of authorization to impound, the persons empowered to authorize such impounds, and the present charge of a private impound for the classes of tow trucks to be used in such impound, and shall be retained in the files of the registered tow truck operator for three years.

(8) Any fee that is charged for the storage of a vehicle shall be calculated on a twenty-four hour basis, and shall be charged to the nearest half day from the time the vehicle arrived at the secure storage area.

(9) All billing invoices that are provided to the redeemer of the vehicle shall be itemized so that the individual fees are clearly discernable.

Sec. 4. Section 7, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.070 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No person may impound, tow, or otherwise disturb any ((~~motor~~)) unauthorized vehicle standing on nonresidential private property or in a public parking facility for less than twenty-four hours unless a sign is posted near each entrance and on the property in a clearly conspicuous and visible location to all who park on such property that clearly indicates:

(a) The times a vehicle may be impounded as an unauthorized vehicle; and

(b) The name, telephone number, and address of the towing firm where the vehicle may be redeemed.

(2) The requirements of subsection (1) of this section do not apply to residential property. Any person having charge of such property may have an unauthorized vehicle impounded immediately upon giving written authorization.

(3) The department shall adopt rules relating to the size of the sign required by subsection (1) of this section, its lettering, placement, and the number required.

(4) This section applies to all new signs erected after July 1, 1986. All other signs must meet these requirements by July 1, 1989.

Sec. 5. Section 8, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.080 are each amended to read as follows:

If a vehicle is in violation of the time restrictions of RCW 46.55.010(12), it may be impounded by a registered tow truck operator at the direction of a law enforcement officer or other public official with jurisdiction if the vehicle is on public property, or at the direction of the property owner or his agent if it is on private property. A law enforcement officer may also direct the impoundment of a vehicle pursuant to a writ or court order or pursuant to other authority.

The person requesting a private impound shall provide a signed authorization for the impound at the time and place of the impound to the registered tow truck operator before the operator may proceed with the impound.

Sec. 6. Section 9, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.090 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All vehicles impounded shall be taken to the nearest storage location that has been inspected and is listed on the application filed with the department.

(2) All vehicles shall be handled and returned in substantially the same condition as they existed before being towed.

(3) All personal belongings and contents in the vehicle shall be kept intact, and shall be returned to the vehicle's owner or agent during normal business hours upon request and presentation of a driver's license or other sufficient identification. Personal belongings shall not be sold at auction to fulfill a lien against the vehicle.

(4) All personal belongings not claimed before the auction shall be turned over to the local law enforcement agency to which the initial notification of impoundment was given. Such personal belongings shall be disposed of pursuant to chapter 63.29 RCW.

(5) ((~~After January 1, 1986,~~)) All employees who serve as tow truck drivers shall have a Washington state driver's license endorsed for vehicle combinations under RCW 46.20.440.

(6) Any person who shows proof of ownership or written authorization from the impounded vehicle's registered or legal owner may view the vehicle without charge during normal business hours.

Sec. 7. Section 10, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.100 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) At the time of impoundment the registered tow truck operator providing the towing service shall give immediate notification, by telephone or radio, to a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction who shall maintain a log of such reports, unless the impoundment was requested by that law enforcement agency. The initial notice of impoundment shall be followed by a written notice within twenty-four hours.

(2) The operator shall immediately send an abandoned vehicle report to the department for any vehicle in the operator's possession after the ninety-six hour abandonment period. Such report need not be sent when the impoundment is pursuant to a writ or court order.

(3) Within fifteen days of the sale of an abandoned vehicle at public auction, the towing operator shall send a copy of the abandoned vehicle report showing the disposition of the abandoned vehicle to the crime information center of the Washington state patrol.

Sec. 8. Section 11, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.110 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In the case of an unauthorized vehicle impounded from public property, the law enforcement agency or other public official directing the impoundment, or in the case of a vehicle impounded from private property, the impounding towing operator, shall notify the legal and registered owners of the impoundment of the unauthorized vehicle. The notification shall be sent by first-class mail within twenty-four hours after the impoundment to the last known registered and legal owners of the vehicle, as provided by the law enforcement agency. The notification shall include the name of the impounding tow firm, its address, and telephone number. The notice shall also include the location, time of the impound, and by whose authority the vehicle was impounded.

(2) In the case of an abandoned vehicle, within twenty-four hours after receiving information on the vehicle owners from the department through the abandoned vehicle report, the tow truck operator shall send by certified mail, with return receipt requested, a notice of custody and sale to the legal and registered owners.

Sec. 9. Section 13, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.130 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) If, after the expiration of fifteen days from the date of mailing of notice of custody and sale required in RCW 46.55.110(2) to the registered and legal owners, the vehicle ((~~or hulk~~)) remains unclaimed and has not been listed as a stolen vehicle, then the registered ((~~disposer~~)) tow truck operator having custody of the vehicle ((~~or hulk~~)) shall conduct a sale of the vehicle at public auction after having first published a notice of the date, place, and time of the auction in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the vehicle is located not less than three days before the date of the auction. The ((~~advertisement~~)) notice shall contain a description of the vehicle including the make, model, year, and license number and a notification that a three-hour public viewing period will be available before the auction. The auction shall be held during daylight hours of a normal business day.

(2) The following procedures are required in any public auction of such abandoned vehicles:

(a) The auction shall be held in such a manner that all persons present are given an equal time and opportunity to bid;

(b) All bidders must be present at the time of auction unless they have submitted to the registered tow truck operator, who may or may not choose to use the precaution bid method, a written bid on a specific vehicle. Written bids may be submitted up to five days before the auction and shall clearly state which vehicle is being bid upon, the amount of the bid, and who is submitting the bid;

(c) The open bid process, including all written bids, shall be used so that everyone knows the dollar value that must be exceeded;

(d) The highest two bids received shall be recorded in written form;

(e) In case the high bidder defaults, the next bidder has the right to purchase the vehicle for the amount of his or her bid;

(f) The registered tow truck operator shall post a copy of the auction procedure at the bidding site. If the bidding site is different from the licensed office location, the operator shall post a clearly visible sign at the office location that describes in detail where the auction will be held. At the bidding site a copy of the newspaper advertisement that lists the vehicles for sale shall be posted;

(g) All surplus moneys derived from the auction after satisfaction of the registered tow truck operator's lien shall be remitted within thirty days to the department for deposit in the state motor vehicle fund. A report identifying the vehicles resulting in any surplus shall accompany the remitted funds. If the director subsequently receives a valid claim from the registered ((~~vehicle~~)) or legal owner of ((~~record~~)) the vehicle within one year from the date of the auction, the surplus moneys shall be remitted to ((~~the registered~~)) such owner;

(h) If an operator receives no bid, or if the operator is the successful bidder at auction, the operator shall, within thirty days sell the ((~~unclaimed abandoned~~)) vehicle to a licensed vehicle wrecker, hulk hauler, or scrap processor by use of the abandoned vehicle report-affidavit of sale, or the operator shall apply for title to the vehicle.

(3) (a) In no case may the accumulation of storage charges exceed fifteen days from the date of receipt of the information by the operator from the department as provided by RCW 46.55.110(2).

(b) The failure of the registered ((~~disposer~~)) tow truck operator to comply with the time limits provided in this chapter limits the accumulation of storage charges to five days except where delay is unavoidable. Providing incorrect or incomplete identifying information to the department in the abandoned vehicle report shall be considered a failure to comply with these time limits if correct information is available.

Sec. 10. Section 14, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.140 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A registered tow truck operator who has a valid and signed impoundment authorization has a lien upon the impounded vehicle for services provided in the towing and storage of the vehicle, unless the impoundment is determined to have been invalid. ((~~However,~~)) The lien does not apply to personal property in or upon the vehicle that is not permanently attached to or is not an integral part of the vehicle. The registered tow truck operator also has a deficiency claim against the ((~~last~~)) registered owner of the vehicle for services provided in the towing and storage of the vehicle not to exceed the sum of three hundred dollars less the amount bid at auction, and for vehicles of over ten thousand pounds gross vehicle weight, the operator has a deficiency claim of one thousand dollars less the amount bid at auction((~~, unless~~)). If the impound is determined to be invalid, the registered owner of the vehicle shall bear no impoundment, towing, or storage fees, and any bond or other security shall be returned or discharged as appropriate, and the person or agency who authorized the impoundment is liable for any towing, storage, or other impoundment fees permitted under this chapter. A registered owner who has completed and filed with the department the seller's report as provided for by RCW 46.12.101 is relieved of liability under this section.

(2) A registered tow truck operator who impounds, tows, and stores a vehicle at the direction of a law enforcement officer or other public official, or at the direction of the owner or person having possession of real property has a lien upon the vehicle for services provided in the towing and storage of the vehicle. Unless the impoundment is determined to be invalid, the lien arises by reason of the impoundment whether it is a private or public impound or pursuant to a writ or court order. The lien takes priority over and is senior to any perfected security interest or other lien whether statutory or at common law. If the impoundment is later determined to be invalid, the person or agency directing the impoundment is responsible for the payment of the towing and storage fees of the registered tow truck operator within thirty days of the determination that the impoundment was invalid.

(3) Any person who tows, removes, or otherwise disturbs any ((~~motor~~)) vehicle parked, stalled, or otherwise left on privately owned or controlled property, and any person owning or controlling the private property, or either of them, are liable to the owner((,)) or operator((~~, or driver~~)) of a ((~~motor~~)) vehicle, or each of them, for consequential and incidental damages arising from any interference with the ownership or use of the ((~~motor~~)) vehicle which does not comply with the requirements of this chapter.

Sec. 11. Section 15, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.150 are each amended to read as follows:

The registered tow truck operator shall keep a transaction file on each vehicle. The transaction file shall contain as a minimum those of the following items that are required at the time the vehicle is redeemed or becomes abandoned and is sold at a public auction:

(1) A signed impoundment authorization as required by RCW 46.55.080;

(2) A record of the twenty-four hour written impound notice to a law enforcement agency;

(3) A copy of the impoundment notification to registered and legal owners, sent within twenty-four hours of impoundment, that advises the owners of the address of the impounding firm, a twenty-four hour telephone number, and the name of the person or agency under whose authority the vehicle was impounded;

(4) A copy of the abandoned vehicle report that was sent to and returned by the department;

(5) A copy and proof of mailing of the notice of custody and sale sent by the registered tow truck operator to the owners advising them they have fifteen days to redeem the vehicle before it is sold at public auction;

(6) A copy of the ((~~advertisement~~)) published notice of public auction;

(7) A copy of the affidavit of sale showing the sales date, purchaser, amount of the lien, and sale price;

(8) A record of the two highest bid offers on the vehicle;

(9) A copy of the notice of opportunity for hearing given to those who redeem vehicles.

The transaction file shall be kept for a minimum of three years.

Sec. 12. Section 17, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.170 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All law enforcement agencies or local licensing agencies that receive complaints involving registered tow truck operators shall forward the complaints, along with any supporting documents, including all results from local investigations, to the department.

(2) Complaints involving deficiencies of equipment shall be forwarded by the department to the ((~~state~~)) commission on equipment.

Sec. 13. Section 20, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.200 are each amended to read as follows:

A registered tow truck operator's license may be denied, suspended, or revoked, or the licensee may be ordered to pay a monetary penalty of a civil nature, not to exceed one thousand dollars per violation, whenever the director has reason to believe the licensee has committed, or is at the time committing, a violation of this chapter or rules adopted under it or any other statute or rule relating to the title or disposition of vehicles or vehicle hulks, including but not limited to:

(1) Towing any abandoned vehicle without first obtaining and having in his possession at all times while transporting it, appropriate evidence of ownership or an impound authorization properly executed by the ((~~private~~)) person having control over the property on which the unauthorized vehicle was found;

(2) Forging the signature of the registered or legal owner on a certificate of title, or forging the signature of any authorized person on documents pertaining to unauthorized or abandoned vehicles or automobile hulks;

(3) Failing to comply with the statutes and rules relating to the processing and sale of abandoned vehicles;

(4) Failing to accept bids on any abandoned vehicle offered at public sale;

(5) Failing to transmit to the state surplus funds derived from the sale of an abandoned vehicle;

(6) Selling, disposing of, or having in his possession, without notifying law enforcement officials, a vehicle that he knows or has reason to know has been stolen or illegally appropriated without the consent of the owner;

(7) Failing to comply with the statutes and rules relating to the transfer of ownership of vehicles or other procedures after public sale; or

(8) Failing to pay any civil monetary penalty assessed by the director pursuant to this section within ten days after the assessment becomes final.

All orders by the director made under this chapter are subject to the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.04 RCW.

Sec. 14. Section 21, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.210 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever it appears to the director that any registered tow truck operator or a person offering towing services has engaged in or is about to engage in any act or practice constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted hereunder, the director may issue an order directing the operator or person to cease and desist from continuing the act or practice. Reasonable notice of and opportunity for a hearing shall be given. The director may issue a temporary order pending a hearing((,)). The temporary order shall remain in effect until ten days after the hearing is held and shall become final if the person to whom notice is addressed does not request a hearing within fifteen days after the receipt of notice.

Sec. 15. Section 22, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.220 are each amended to read as follows:

If an application for a license to conduct business as a registered tow truck operator is filed by any person whose license has previously been canceled for cause by the department, or if the department is of the opinion that the application is not filed in good faith or that the application is filed by some person as a subterfuge for the real person in interest whose license has previously been canceled for cause, the department, after a hearing, of which the applicant has been given twenty days' notice in writing and at which the applicant may appear in person or by counsel and present testimony, may refuse to issue such a person a license to conduct business as a registered tow truck operator.

Sec. 16. Section 23, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.230 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any law enforcement officer having jurisdiction or any person authorized by the director may inspect and certify that a vehicle meets the requirements of a junk vehicle. The person making the certification shall record the make and vehicle identification number or license number of the vehicle if available, and shall also describe in detail the damage or missing equipment to verify that the value of the junk vehicle is equivalent only to the value of the scrap in it.

(2) The law enforcement officer or department representative shall provide information on the vehicle's registered and legal owner to the landowner.

(3) Upon receiving information on the vehicle's registered and legal owner, the landowner shall obtain a junk vehicle notification form from the department. The landowner shall send by certified mail, notification to the registered and legal owners shown on the records of the department. The notification shall describe the redemption procedure and the right to contest the sale of a junk vehicle in a district court hearing.

(4) If the vehicle remains unclaimed more than fifteen days after the landowner has mailed notification to the registered and legal owner, the landowner may sign an affidavit of sale to be used as a title document.

(5) If no information on the vehicle's registered and legal owner is found in the records of the department, the landowner shall place a legal notice of custody and sale in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The newspaper notice shall include (a) the description of the vehicle; (b) the address of the location of the junk vehicle; (c) the date by which the registered or legal owner must redeem the vehicle; and (d) a telephone number where the landowner can be reached. If the vehicle remains unclaimed more than twenty days after publication of the notice, the landowner may sign an affidavit of sale to be used as a title document.

(6) The landowner of the property upon which the junk vehicle is located is entitled to recover from the vehicle's registered and legal owner any costs incurred in the removal of the junk vehicle.

(7) For the purposes of this section, the term "landowner" includes a legal owner of private property, a person with possession or control of private property, or a public official having jurisdiction over public property.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 17. A new section is added to chapter 46.55 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A vehicle involved in an accident or otherwise disabled and impounded at the direction of a law enforcement officer shall be towed and stored by a registered tow truck operator. The registered and legal owners of such vehicle shall be responsible for the payment of towing and storage costs.

(2) It is unlawful to abandon a vehicle on a highway or public way, or upon public or private property without the consent of the owner or person in possession or control of the property. Any person convicted of such abandonment shall be fined an amount equal to the cost of removing and disposing of the vehicle. No part of the fine may be suspended. The registered and legal owners of the vehicle are responsible for the payment of removing and disposing of the vehicle.

(3) An insurer responsible for coverage for towing and storage charges under an automobile insurance policy to an insured or on behalf of an insured to a claimant, is liable for such charges to the person or firm performing those services when a vehicle is towed and stored as the result of an accident or other disablement. The insurer may discharge that obligation by making payment to the person or firm performing the towing and storage services or to the insured, or on behalf of the insured to the claimant. An insured or claimant who has received financial reimbursement for towing and storage costs with regard to a loss relating to a vehicle is liable for the payment of the charges to the person performing the services. It is an unfair business practice under RCW 48.30.010 for an insurer under a policy of automobile insurance to willfully refuse to pay for any towing and storage charges covered by such policy with respect to a vehicle required to be towed or stored after an accident or event causing the disablement of the vehicle. It is also an unfair business practice within the meaning of RCW 48.30.010 for an insurer under a policy of automobile insurance to abandon salvage without paying towing and storage charges that are owed to a registered tow truck operator.

Sec. 18. Section 24, chapter 377, Laws of 1985 and RCW 46.55.240 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A city, town, or county that adopts an ordinance or resolution concerning unauthorized, abandoned, or impounded vehicles shall include the applicable provisions of this chapter.

(a) A city, town, or county may, by ordinance, authorize other impound situations that may arise locally upon the public right-of-way or other publicly owned or controlled property.

(b) A city, town, or county may, by ordinance, provide for release of an impounded vehicle by means of a promissory note in lieu of immediate payment, if at the time of redemption the legal or registered owner requests a hearing on the validity of the impoundment. If the municipal ordinance directs the release of an impounded vehicle before the payment of the impoundment charges, the municipality is responsible for the payment of those charges to the registered tow truck operator within thirty days of the hearing date.

(c) The hearing specified in RCW 46.55.120(2) and in this section may be conducted by an administrative hearings officer instead of in the district court. A decision made by an administrative hearing officer may be appealed to the district court for final judgment.

(2) A city, town, or county may adopt an ordinance establishing procedures for the abatement and removal as public nuisances of unauthorized junk ((~~motor~~)) vehicles or parts thereof from private property. Costs of removal may be assessed against the ((~~last~~)) registered owner of the vehicle ((~~or automobile hulk~~)) if the identity of the owner can be determined, unless the owner in the transfer of ownership of the vehicle ((~~or automobile hulk~~)) has complied with RCW 46.12.101, or the costs may be assessed against the owner of the property on which the vehicle is stored.

(3) Ordinances pertaining to public nuisances shall contain:

(a) A provision requiring notice to the last registered owner of record and the property owner of record that a hearing may be requested and that if no hearing is requested, the vehicle ((~~or automobile hulk~~)) will be removed;

(b) A provision requiring that if a request for a hearing is received, a notice giving the time, location, and date of the hearing on the question of abatement and removal of the vehicle or part thereof as a public nuisance shall be mailed, by certified mail, with a five-day return receipt requested, to the owner of the land as shown on the last equalized assessment roll and to the last registered and legal owner of record unless the vehicle is in such condition that identification numbers are not available to determine ownership;

(c) A provision that the ordinance shall not apply to (i) a vehicle or part thereof that is completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner where it is not visible from the street or other public or private property or (ii) a vehicle or part thereof that is stored or parked in a lawful manner on private property in connection with the business of a licensed dismantler or licensed vehicle dealer and is fenced according to RCW 46.80.130;

(d) A provision that the owner of the land on which the vehicle is located may appear in person at the hearing or present a written statement in time for consideration at the hearing, and deny responsibility for the presence of the vehicle on the land, with his reasons for the denial. If it is determined at the hearing that the vehicle was placed on the land without the consent of the landowner and that he has not subsequently acquiesced in its presence, then the local agency shall not assess costs of administration or removal of the vehicle against the property upon which the vehicle is located or otherwise attempt to collect the cost from the owner;

(e) A provision that after notice has been given of the intent of the city, town, or county to dispose of the vehicle and after a hearing, if requested, has been held, the vehicle or part thereof shall be removed at the request of a law enforcement officer with notice to the Washington state patrol and the department of licensing that the vehicle has been wrecked. The city, town, or county may operate such a disposal site when its governing body determines that commercial channels of disposition are not available or are inadequate, and it may make final disposition of such vehicles or parts, or may transfer such vehicle or parts to another governmental body provided such disposal shall be only as scrap.

(4) A registered disposer under contract to a city or county for the impounding of vehicles shall comply with any administrative regulations adopted by the city or county on the handling and disposing of vehicles.