Bill Title: Towing services. Amends the statute concerning the release of an abandoned motor vehicle that has been towed to a storage yard or towing facility as follows: (1) Provides that a towing service or storage yard may charge an inspection fee for inspections or retrievals from a vehicle. (2) Requires a towing service or storage yard to: (A) provide an itemized receipt upon payment; and (B) meet certain requirements as to: (i) hours of operation; and (ii) receiving and returning telephone calls. Provides that not later than three business days after towing a vehicle a towing company or storage facility must comply with certain statutes relating to abandoned vehicles for giving notice. Requires a towing company to charge reasonable fees. Requires a towing company to provide the owner or operator of a motor vehicle that is about to be towed a written and itemized estimate of all charges and services to be performed by the towing company. Requires a towing company to document and itemize certain fees related to a tow and certain towing services. Specifies certain record keeping requirements for itemized estimates issued by a towing company. Creates a new article in the Indiana Code to establish certain requirements for towing companies that engage in, or offer to engage in, the business of providing towing service in Indiana, including provisions concerning the following: (1) Emergency towing. (2) Private property towing. (3) Releasing towed motor vehicles. (4) Prohibited acts by towing companies and storage facilities. Provides that a person who violates these new provisions commits a deceptive act that is: (1) actionable under; and (2) subject to the penalties and remedies set forth in; the statute governing deceptive consumer sales. Provides that the attorney general: (1) shall receive, and may investigate, complaints alleging violations of the new provisions; and (2) after finding that a violation has occurred, may take appropriate action under the statute governing deceptive consumer sales. Authorizes the attorney general to adopt rules to implement the new provisions.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-2)

Status: (Passed) 2019-05-06 - Public Law 281 [HB1183 Detail]

Text: Latest bill text (Enrolled) [PDF]

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Sponsors

Name	Type	Sponsorship	District	Financial	Encyclopedia	Biography
Representative Matthew Lehman [R]	Primary	Sponsored Bills	HD-079	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Kevin Mahan [R]	Cosponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-031	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Terri Jo Austin [D]	Cosponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-036	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Representative Randall Frye [R]	Cosponsor	Sponsored Bills	HD-067	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Senator Blake Doriot [R]	Primary	Sponsored Bills	SD-012	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Senator Mike Gaskill [R]	Primary	Sponsored Bills	SD-025	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart
Senator Lonnie Randolph [D]	Primary	Sponsored Bills	SD-002	FollowTheMoney	Ballotpedia	VoteSmart

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