How must the registered tow truck operator handle stored
vehicles?
(1) Handling and returning
vehicles in substantially the same condition means that vehicles are to be
handled with care so that their value is not diminished. The operator must not
remove parts or equipment which are affixed to the vehicle.
(2) A vehicle being held for storage by
agreement or being held under police authority, other than a suspended license
impound, or pursuant to a writ or court order shall not be considered
abandoned, nor shall it be processed as such. Any storage fees accrued while
under agreement or under police hold, other than a suspended license impound,
or pursuant to a writ or court order, shall not be included in the abandoned
vehicle lien. Upon the expiration of a storage agreement, the lifting of a
police hold other than a suspended license impound, or when the writ or court
order is no longer in effect, the operator must begin the unauthorized
abandoned vehicle processing, including the notification to vehicle owners by
first class mail within twenty-four hours.
(3) When vehicles are stored pursuant to a
writ or court order, the operator must keep evidence of the inception and
termination dates of the writ or court order in the vehicle transaction
file.
(4) When a vehicle is being
held pursuant to a suspended license impound, and the vehicle is not redeemed
even after the payment of a security deposit, and upon expiration of the hold,
the operator must send the notice provided in
RCW
46.55.110(2) and schedule
its auction accordingly.
(5)
Vehicles in the custody of an operator must be kept entirely within a secure
area owned or operated under that registration.
(6) An operator must not charge for
relocating vehicles between separate secure storage areas which he/she owns or
operates.
(7) A vehicle's owner or
agent may request that the operator store personal belongings from their
vehicle for a period of thirty days from the date of signing a personal
belongings storage request form. The personal belongings storage request form
shall contain the requestor's vehicle identification number, license plate
number, make, model, and year. The form shall also contain the RTTO company's
name, street address, city, state and zip code where the personal belongings
will be stored, the requestor's name and signature, and the date the request
form was signed.
