(A) (1) Except as provided in division (A)(3) below, the owner of an abandoned vehicle or parts is responsible for the abandonment, and liable for all of the costs incidental to the removal, storage, and disposal of the vehicle or the parts under this chapter.
(2) The costs for storage of an abandoned vehicle may not exceed $2,000.
(3) If an abandoned vehicle is sold by a person who removed, towed, or stored the vehicle, the person who previously owned the vehicle is not responsible for storage fees.
(4) If an abandoned vehicle is sold by a person who removed, towed, or stored the vehicle, and proceeds from the sale of the vehicle covered the removal, towing, and storage expenses, any remaining proceeds from the sale of the vehicle shall be returned to the previous owner of the vehicle if the previous owner is known.
(B) If the owner or lienholder under I.C. 9-22-1-8 does not appear to pay all costs, or the owner of a vehicle cannot be determined by a search conducted under I.C. 9-22-1-19, the vehicle is considered abandoned and must be disposed of as set forth in this subchapter.
(C) If the properly identified person who owns or holds a lien on a vehicle appears at the site of storage before disposal of the vehicle or parts and pays all costs incurred against the vehicle or parts at that time, the vehicle or parts shall be released.
(1) A towing service shall notify the appropriate public agency of all releases under this section.
(2) The notification must include the name, signature, and address of the person that owns or holds a lien on the vehicle, a description of the vehicle or parts, costs, and the date of release.
(Ord. 2021-4, passed 6-8-2021)