FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1574
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEHALES.
2704H.01I JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection304.157,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingtothe
towingofmotorvehiclesorvessels,withapenaltyprovision.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section304.157,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection304.157,toreadasfollows:
304.157.1.Ifapersonabandonsproperty,asdefinedinsection304.001,onanyreal
2propertyownedbyanotherwithouttheconsentoftheownerorpersoninpossessionofthe
3property,attherequestofthepersoninpossessionoftherealproperty,anymemberofthe
4statehighwaypatrol,statewaterpatrol,sheriff,orotherlawenforcementofficerwithinhis
5jurisdictionmayauthorizeatowingcompanytoremovesuchabandonedpropertyfromthe
6propertyinthefollowingcircumstances:
7 (1)Theabandonedpropertyisleftunattendedformorethanforty-eighthours;or
8 (2)Inthejudgmentofalawenforcementofficer,theabandonedpropertyconstitutes
9asafetyhazardorunreasonablyinterfereswiththeuseoftherealpropertybythepersonin
10possession.
11 2.Alocalgovernmentagencymayalsoprovideforthetowingofmotorvehiclesor
12vesselsfromrealpropertyundertheauthorityofanylocalordinanceprovidingforthetowing
13ofvehiclesorvesselswhicharederelict,junk,scrapped,disassembledorotherwiseharmful
14tothepublichealthunderthetermsoftheordinance.Anylocalgovernmentagency
15authorizingatowunderthissubsectionshallreportthetowtothelocallawenforcement
16agencywithintwohourswithacrimeinquiryandinspectionreportpursuanttosection
17304.155.
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18 3.Neitherthelawenforcementofficer,localgovernmentagencynoranyonehaving
19custodyofabandonedpropertyunderhisorherdirectionshallbeliableforanydamageto
20suchabandonedpropertyoccasionedbyaremovalauthorizedbythissectionotherthan
21damagesoccasionedbynegligenceorbywillfulorwantonactsoromissions.
22 4.Theownerofrealpropertyorlesseeinlawfulpossessionoftherealpropertyorthe
23propertyorsecuritymanageroftherealpropertymayauthorizeatowingcompanytoremove
24abandonedpropertyorpropertyparkedinarestrictedorassignedareawithoutauthorization
25byalawenforcementofficeronlywhentheowner,lesseeorpropertyorsecuritymanagerof
26therealpropertyispresent.Apropertyorsecuritymanagermustbeafull-timeemployeeofa
27businessentity.Anauthorizationtotowpursuanttothissubsectionmaybemadeonlyunder
28anyofthefollowingcircumstances:
29 (1)Thereisdisplayed,inplainviewatallentrancestotheproperty,asignnotless
30thanseventeenbytwenty-twoinchesinsize,withletteringnotlessthanoneinchinheight,
31prohibitingpublicparkingandindicatingthatunauthorizedabandonedpropertyorproperty
32parkedinarestrictedorassignedareawillberemovedattheowner'sexpense,disclosingthe
33maximumfeeforallchargesrelatedtotowingandstorage,andcontainingthetelephone
34numberofthelocaltrafficlawenforcementagencywhereinformationcanbeobtainedora
35twenty-four-hourstaffedemergencyinformationtelephonenumberbywhichtheownerofthe
36abandonedpropertyorpropertyparkedinarestrictedorassignedareamaycalltoreceive
37informationregardingthelocationofsuchowner'sproperty;
38 (2)Theabandonedpropertyisleftunattendedonowner-occupiedresidentialproperty
39withfourresidentialunitsorless,andtheowner,lesseeoragentoftherealpropertyinlawful
40possessionhasnotifiedtheappropriatelawenforcementagency,andtenhourshaveelapsed
41sincethatnotification;or
42 (3)Theabandonedpropertyisleftunattendedonprivateproperty,andtheowner,
43lesseeoragentoftherealpropertyinlawfulpossessionofrealpropertyhasnotifiedthe
44appropriatelawenforcementagency,andninety-sixhourshaveelapsedsincethat
45notification.
46 5.Pursuanttothissection,anyownerorlesseeinlawfulpossessionofrealproperty
47thatrequestsatowingcompanytotowabandonedpropertywithoutauthorizationfromalaw
48enforcementofficershallatthattimecompleteanabandonedpropertyreportwhichshallbe
49consideredalegaldeclarationsubjecttocriminalpenaltypursuanttosection575.060.The
50reportshallbeintheformdesigned,printedanddistributedbythedirectorofrevenueand
51shallcontainthefollowing:
52 (1)Theyear,model,makeandabandonedpropertyidentificationnumberofthe
53propertyandtheownerandanylienholders,ifknown;
HB1574 2 54 (2)Adescriptionofanydamagetotheabandonedpropertynotedbyowner,lesseeor
55propertyorsecuritymanagerinpossessionoftherealproperty;
56 (3)Thelicenseplateorregistrationnumberandthestateofissuance,ifavailable;
57 (4)Thephysicallocationofthepropertyandthereasonforrequestingthepropertyto
58betowed;
59 (5)Thedatethereportiscompleted;
60 (6)Theprintedname,addressandphonenumberoftheowner,lesseeorpropertyor
61securitymanagerinpossessionoftherealproperty;
62 (7)Thetowingcompany'snameandaddress;
63 (8)Thesignatureofthetowingoperator;
64 (9)Thesignatureoftheowner,lesseeorpropertyorsecuritymanagerattestingtothe
65factsthatthepropertyhasbeenabandonedforthetimerequiredbythissectionandthatall
66statementsonthereportaretrueandcorrecttothebestoftheperson'sknowledgeandbelief
67andthatthepersonissubjecttothepenaltiesformakingfalsestatements;
68 (10)Spaceforthenameofthelawenforcementagencynotifiedofthetowingofthe
69abandonedpropertyandforthesignatureofthelawenforcementofficialreceivingthereport;
70and
71 (11)Anyadditionalinformationthedirectorofrevenuedeemsappropriate.
72 6.Anytowingcompanywhichtowsabandonedpropertywithoutauthorizationfroma
73lawenforcementofficerpursuanttosubsection4ofthissectionshalldeliveracopyofthe
74abandonedpropertyreporttothelocallawenforcementagencyhavingjurisdictionoverthe
75locationfromwhichtheabandonedpropertywastowed.Thecopymaybeproducedandsent
76byfacsimilemachineorotherdevicewhichproducesanearexactlikenessoftheprintand
77signaturesrequired,butonlyifthelawenforcementagencyreceivingthereporthasthe
78technologicalcapabilityofreceivingsuchcopyandhasregisteredthetowingcompanyfor
79suchpurpose.Theregistrationrequirementsshallnotapplytolawenforcementagencies
80locatedincountiesofthethirdorfourthclassification.Thereportshallbedeliveredwithin
81twohoursifthetowwasmadefromasignedlocationpursuanttosubdivision(1)of
82subsection4ofthissection,otherwisethereportshallbedeliveredwithintwenty-fourhours.
83 7.Thelawenforcementagencyreceivingsuchabandonedpropertyreportmust
84recordthedateonwhichtheabandonedpropertyreportisfiledwithsuchagencyandshall
85promptlymakeaninquiryintothenationalcrimeinformationcenterandanystatewide
86Missourilawenforcementcomputersystemtodetermineiftheabandonedpropertyhasbeen
87reportedasstolen.Thelawenforcementagencyshallentertheinformationpertainingtothe
88towedpropertyintothestatewidelawenforcementcomputersystem,andanofficershallsign
89theabandonedpropertyreportandprovidethetowingcompanywithasignedcopy.The
HB1574 3 90departmentofrevenuemaydesignandselltotowingcompaniesinformationalbrochures
91outliningownerorlesseeofrealpropertyobligationspursuanttothissection.
92 8.Thelawenforcementagencyreceivingnotificationthatabandonedpropertyhas
93beentowedbyatowingcompanyshallsearchtherecordsofthedepartmentofrevenueand
94providethetowingcompanywiththelatestownerandlienholderinformation,ifavailable,on
95theabandonedproperty,andifthetowerhasonlineaccesstothedepartmentofrevenue's
96records,thetowershallcomplywiththerequirementsofsection301.155.Iftheabandoned
97propertyisnotclaimedwithintenworkingdays,thetowingcompanyshallsendacopyofthe
98abandonedpropertyreportsignedbyalawenforcementofficertothedepartmentofrevenue.
99 9.Theownerordriverofavehicleorvesselthatisnotconsideredabandoned
100underthischapterwhorequeststhatsuchvehicleorvesselbetakentoatowingor
101storagelotonatransitorybasisshallmakearrangementswithintendaysoftheoriginal
102towforthevehicleorvesseltobereclaimedorrelocatedorforthevehicleorvesselto
103remainonthetowingstoragelotforaspecifiedperiodoftime.Iftheten-dayperiod
104expiresandnoactionistakenbytheownerordriverofthevehicleorvessel,thevehicle
105orvesselshallbedeclaredabandonedonthetowingstoragelotunderthischapterand
106theprovisionsofthissectionshallapply,includingtherequirementthatthetowing
107companynotifythelocallawenforcementagencywithjurisdictionoverthelocationof
108thetowingstoragelot.
109 10.Ifanyownerorlesseeofrealpropertyknowinglyauthorizestheremovalof
110abandonedpropertyinviolationofthissection,thentheownerorlesseeshallbedeemed
111guiltyofaclassCmisdemeanor.
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