97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1693

 

Introduced , by Rep. Michael J. Zalewski

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
625 ILCS 5/4-203  from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 4-203
770 ILCS 90/3  from Ch. 141, par. 3

    Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and the Sale of Unclaimed Property Act. Changes the maximum amount of a lien for towing and storage of a vehicle under certain provisions of the Illinois Vehicle code to the actual towing and storage charges (instead of $2,000). Provides that a sale under the Sale of Unclaimed Property Act may be accomplished to enforce a lien for towing and storage of vehicles performed by any relocator or other towing service pursuant to the order of a law enforcement official or agency in accordance with provisions of the Illinois Vehicle Code, whether or not such towing and storage is performed without the vehicle owner's consent.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning liens.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
5Section 4-203 as follows:
 
6    (625 ILCS 5/4-203)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 4-203)
7    Sec. 4-203. Removal of motor vehicles or other vehicles;
8Towing or hauling away.
9    (a) When a vehicle is abandoned, or left unattended, on a
10toll highway, interstate highway, or expressway for 2 hours or
11more, its removal by a towing service may be authorized by a
12law enforcement agency having jurisdiction.
13    (b) When a vehicle is abandoned on a highway in an urban
14district 10 hours or more, its removal by a towing service may
15be authorized by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction.
16    (c) When a vehicle is abandoned or left unattended on a
17highway other than a toll highway, interstate highway, or
18expressway, outside of an urban district for 24 hours or more,
19its removal by a towing service may be authorized by a law
20enforcement agency having jurisdiction.
21    (d) When an abandoned, unattended, wrecked, burned or
22partially dismantled vehicle is creating a traffic hazard
23because of its position in relation to the highway or its

 

 

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1physical appearance is causing the impeding of traffic, its
2immediate removal from the highway or private property adjacent
3to the highway by a towing service may be authorized by a law
4enforcement agency having jurisdiction.
5    (e) Whenever a peace officer reasonably believes that a
6person under arrest for a violation of Section 11-501 of this
7Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance is likely,
8upon release, to commit a subsequent violation of Section
911-501, or a similar provision of a local ordinance, the
10arresting officer shall have the vehicle which the person was
11operating at the time of the arrest impounded for a period of
12not more than 12 hours after the time of arrest. However, such
13vehicle may be released by the arresting law enforcement agency
14prior to the end of the impoundment period if:
15        (1) the vehicle was not owned by the person under
16    arrest, and the lawful owner requesting such release
17    possesses a valid operator's license, proof of ownership,
18    and would not, as determined by the arresting law
19    enforcement agency, indicate a lack of ability to operate a
20    motor vehicle in a safe manner, or who would otherwise, by
21    operating such motor vehicle, be in violation of this Code;
22    or
23        (2) the vehicle is owned by the person under arrest,
24    and the person under arrest gives permission to another
25    person to operate such vehicle, provided however, that the
26    other person possesses a valid operator's license and would

 

 

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1    not, as determined by the arresting law enforcement agency,
2    indicate a lack of ability to operate a motor vehicle in a
3    safe manner or who would otherwise, by operating such motor
4    vehicle, be in violation of this Code.
5    (e-5) Whenever a registered owner of a vehicle is taken
6into custody for operating the vehicle in violation of Section
711-501 of this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance
8or Section 6-303 of this Code, a law enforcement officer may
9have the vehicle immediately impounded for a period not less
10than:
11        (1) 24 hours for a second violation of Section 11-501
12    of this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance or
13    Section 6-303 of this Code or a combination of these
14    offenses; or
15        (2) 48 hours for a third violation of Section 11-501 of
16    this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance or
17    Section 6-303 of this Code or a combination of these
18    offenses.
19    The vehicle may be released sooner if the vehicle is owned
20by the person under arrest and the person under arrest gives
21permission to another person to operate the vehicle and that
22other person possesses a valid operator's license and would
23not, as determined by the arresting law enforcement agency,
24indicate a lack of ability to operate a motor vehicle in a safe
25manner or would otherwise, by operating the motor vehicle, be
26in violation of this Code.

 

 

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1    (f) Except as provided in Chapter 18a of this Code, the
2owner or lessor of privately owned real property within this
3State, or any person authorized by such owner or lessor, or any
4law enforcement agency in the case of publicly owned real
5property may cause any motor vehicle abandoned or left
6unattended upon such property without permission to be removed
7by a towing service without liability for the costs of removal,
8transportation or storage or damage caused by such removal,
9transportation or storage. The towing or removal of any vehicle
10from private property without the consent of the registered
11owner or other legally authorized person in control of the
12vehicle is subject to compliance with the following conditions
13and restrictions:
14        1. Any towed or removed vehicle must be stored at the
15    site of the towing service's place of business. The site
16    must be open during business hours, and for the purpose of
17    redemption of vehicles, during the time that the person or
18    firm towing such vehicle is open for towing purposes.
19        2. The towing service shall within 30 minutes of
20    completion of such towing or removal, notify the law
21    enforcement agency having jurisdiction of such towing or
22    removal, and the make, model, color and license plate
23    number of the vehicle, and shall obtain and record the name
24    of the person at the law enforcement agency to whom such
25    information was reported.
26        3. If the registered owner or legally authorized person

 

 

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1    entitled to possession of the vehicle shall arrive at the
2    scene prior to actual removal or towing of the vehicle, the
3    vehicle shall be disconnected from the tow truck and that
4    person shall be allowed to remove the vehicle without
5    interference, upon the payment of a reasonable service fee
6    of not more than one half the posted rate of the towing
7    service as provided in paragraph 6 of this subsection, for
8    which a receipt shall be given.
9        4. The rebate or payment of money or any other valuable
10    consideration from the towing service or its owners,
11    managers or employees to the owners or operators of the
12    premises from which the vehicles are towed or removed, for
13    the privilege of removing or towing those vehicles, is
14    prohibited. Any individual who violates this paragraph
15    shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
16        5. Except for property appurtenant to and obviously a
17    part of a single family residence, and except for instances
18    where notice is personally given to the owner or other
19    legally authorized person in control of the vehicle that
20    the area in which that vehicle is parked is reserved or
21    otherwise unavailable to unauthorized vehicles and they
22    are subject to being removed at the owner or operator's
23    expense, any property owner or lessor, prior to towing or
24    removing any vehicle from private property without the
25    consent of the owner or other legally authorized person in
26    control of that vehicle, must post a notice meeting the

 

 

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1    following requirements:
2            a. Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph
3        a.1 of this subdivision (f)5, the notice must be
4        prominently placed at each driveway access or curb cut
5        allowing vehicular access to the property within 5 feet
6        from the public right-of-way line. If there are no
7        curbs or access barriers, the sign must be posted not
8        less than one sign each 100 feet of lot frontage.
9            a.1. In a municipality with a population of less
10        than 250,000, as an alternative to the requirement of
11        subparagraph a of this subdivision (f)5, the notice for
12        a parking lot contained within property used solely for
13        a 2-family, 3-family, or 4-family residence may be
14        prominently placed at the perimeter of the parking lot,
15        in a position where the notice is visible to the
16        occupants of vehicles entering the lot.
17            b. The notice must indicate clearly, in not less
18        than 2 inch high light-reflective letters on a
19        contrasting background, that unauthorized vehicles
20        will be towed away at the owner's expense.
21            c. The notice must also provide the name and
22        current telephone number of the towing service towing
23        or removing the vehicle.
24            d. The sign structure containing the required
25        notices must be permanently installed with the bottom
26        of the sign not less than 4 feet above ground level,

 

 

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1        and must be continuously maintained on the property for
2        not less than 24 hours prior to the towing or removing
3        of any vehicle.
4        6. Any towing service that tows or removes vehicles and
5    proposes to require the owner, operator, or person in
6    control of the vehicle to pay the costs of towing and
7    storage prior to redemption of the vehicle must file and
8    keep on record with the local law enforcement agency a
9    complete copy of the current rates to be charged for such
10    services, and post at the storage site an identical rate
11    schedule and any written contracts with property owners,
12    lessors, or persons in control of property which authorize
13    them to remove vehicles as provided in this Section. The
14    towing and storage charges, however, shall not exceed the
15    maximum allowed by the Illinois Commerce Commission under
16    Section 18a-200.
17        7. No person shall engage in the removal of vehicles
18    from private property as described in this Section without
19    filing a notice of intent in each community where he
20    intends to do such removal, and such notice shall be filed
21    at least 7 days before commencing such towing.
22        8. No removal of a vehicle from private property shall
23    be done except upon express written instructions of the
24    owners or persons in charge of the private property upon
25    which the vehicle is said to be trespassing.
26        9. Vehicle entry for the purpose of removal shall be

 

 

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1    allowed with reasonable care on the part of the person or
2    firm towing the vehicle. Such person or firm shall be
3    liable for any damages occasioned to the vehicle if such
4    entry is not in accordance with the standards of reasonable
5    care.
6        10. When a vehicle has been towed or removed pursuant
7    to this Section, it must be released to its owner or
8    custodian within one half hour after requested, if such
9    request is made during business hours. Any vehicle owner or
10    custodian or agent shall have the right to inspect the
11    vehicle before accepting its return, and no release or
12    waiver of any kind which would release the towing service
13    from liability for damages incurred during the towing and
14    storage may be required from any vehicle owner or other
15    legally authorized person as a condition of release of the
16    vehicle. A detailed, signed receipt showing the legal name
17    of the towing service must be given to the person paying
18    towing or storage charges at the time of payment, whether
19    requested or not.
20    This Section shall not apply to law enforcement,
21firefighting, rescue, ambulance, or other emergency vehicles
22which are marked as such or to property owned by any
23governmental entity.
24    When an authorized person improperly causes a motor vehicle
25to be removed, such person shall be liable to the owner or
26lessee of the vehicle for the cost or removal, transportation

 

 

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1and storage, any damages resulting from the removal,
2transportation and storage, attorney's fee and court costs.
3    Any towing or storage charges accrued shall be payable by
4the use of any major credit card, in addition to being payable
5in cash.
6        11. Towing companies shall also provide insurance
7    coverage for areas where vehicles towed under the
8    provisions of this Chapter will be impounded or otherwise
9    stored, and shall adequately cover loss by fire, theft or
10    other risks.
11    Any person who fails to comply with the conditions and
12restrictions of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class C
13misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than
14$500.
15    (g) When a vehicle is determined to be a hazardous
16dilapidated motor vehicle pursuant to Section 11-40-3.1 of the
17Illinois Municipal Code, its removal and impoundment by a
18towing service may be authorized by a law enforcement agency
19with appropriate jurisdiction.
20    When a vehicle removal from either public or private
21property is authorized by a law enforcement agency, the owner
22of the vehicle shall be responsible for all towing and storage
23charges.
24    Vehicles removed from public or private property and stored
25by a commercial vehicle relocator or any other towing service
26authorized by a law enforcement agency in compliance with this

 

 

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1Section and Sections 4-201 and 4-202 of this Code, or at the
2request of the vehicle owner or operator, shall be subject to a
3possessor lien for services pursuant to the Labor and Storage
4Lien (Small Amount) Act. The provisions of Section 1 of that
5Act relating to notice and implied consent shall be deemed
6satisfied by compliance with Section 18a-302 and subsection (6)
7of Section 18a-300. In no event shall such lien be greater than
8the rate or rates established in accordance with subsection (6)
9of Section 18a-200 of this Code. In no event shall such lien be
10increased or altered to reflect any charge for services or
11materials rendered in addition to those authorized by this Act.
12Every such lien shall be payable by use of any major credit
13card, in addition to being payable in cash.
14    No lien under this subsection (g) shall: exceed actual
15towing and storage charges $2,000 in its total amount; or be
16increased or altered to reflect any charge for services or
17materials rendered in addition to those authorized by this Act.
18    (h) Whenever a peace officer issues a citation to a driver
19for a violation of subsection (a) of Section 11-506 of this
20Code, the arresting officer may have the vehicle which the
21person was operating at the time of the arrest impounded for a
22period of 5 days after the time of arrest. An impounding agency
23shall release a motor vehicle impounded under this subsection
24(h) to the registered owner of the vehicle under any of the
25following circumstances:
26        (1) If the vehicle is a stolen vehicle; or

 

 

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1        (2) If the person ticketed for a violation of
2    subsection (a) of Section 11-506 of this Code was not
3    authorized by the registered owner of the vehicle to
4    operate the vehicle at the time of the violation; or
5        (3) If the registered owner of the vehicle was neither
6    the driver nor a passenger in the vehicle at the time of
7    the violation or was unaware that the driver was using the
8    vehicle to engage in street racing; or
9        (4) If the legal owner or registered owner of the
10    vehicle is a rental car agency; or
11        (5) If, prior to the expiration of the impoundment
12    period specified above, the citation is dismissed or the
13    defendant is found not guilty of the offense.
14(Source: P.A. 95-310, eff. 1-1-08; 95-562, eff. 7-1-08; 95-621,
15eff. 6-1-08; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08; 96-1274, eff. 7-26-10.)
 
16    Section 10. The Sale of Unclaimed Property Act is amended
17by changing Section 3 as follows:
 
18    (770 ILCS 90/3)  (from Ch. 141, par. 3)
19    Sec. 3. All persons other than common carriers having a
20lien on personal property, by virtue of the Innkeepers Lien Act
21or for more than $2,000 by virtue of the Labor and Storage Lien
22Act may enforce the lien by a sale of the property, on giving
23to the owner thereof, if he and his residence be known to the
24person having such lien, 30 days' notice by certified mail, in

 

 

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1writing of the time and place of such sale, and if the owner or
2his place of residence be unknown to the person having such
3lien, then upon his filing his affidavit to that effect with
4the clerk of the circuit court in the county where such
5property is situated; notice of the sale may be given by
6publishing the same once in each week for 3 successive weeks in
7some newspaper of general circulation published in the county,
8and out of the proceeds of the sale all costs and charges for
9advertising and making the same, and the amount of the lien
10shall be paid, and the surplus, if any, shall be paid to the
11owner of the property or, if not claimed by said owner, such
12surplus, if any, shall be disposed under the Uniform
13Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act. All sales pursuant to
14this Section must be public and conducted in a commercially
15reasonable manner so as to maximize the net proceeds of the
16sale. Conformity to the requirements of this Act shall be a
17perpetual bar to any action against such lienor by any person
18for the recovery of such chattels or the value thereof or any
19damages growing out of the failure of such person to receive
20such chattels.
21    A sale pursuant to this Section may be accomplished to
22enforce a lien for towing and storage of vehicles performed by
23any relocator or other towing service pursuant to the order of
24a law enforcement official or agency in accordance with Section
254-201 through 4-214 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, whether or
26not such towing and storage is performed without the vehicle

 

 

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1owner's consent.
2(Source: P.A. 87-206.)