Vermont Statutes Title 23 Sec. 2154
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 23 Sec. 2154
- Abandoned motor vehicle: means :
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. See
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
- Identification number: means the numbers and letters, if any, on a vehicle designated by the Commissioner for the purpose of identifying the vehicle. See
- Landowner: means a person who owns or leases or otherwise has authority to control use of real property. See
- Lienholder: means a person holding a security interest in a vehicle. See
- Motor vehicle: means all vehicles propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power that have, or could have, one or more of the following:
- Owner: shall include any person, corporation, co-partnership, or association holding legal title to a motor vehicle or having exclusive right to the use or control thereof for a period of 30 days or more. See
- Public vehicle identification number: means the public vehicle identification number that is usually visible through the windshield and attached to the driver's side of the dashboard, instrument panel, or windshield pillar post or on the doorjamb on the driver's side of the vehicle. See
- Vehicle: means a motor vehicle as defined by section 4 of this title. See
§ 2154. Identification and reclamation of abandoned motor vehicles
(a) The Department shall make a reasonable attempt to locate an owner of an abandoned motor vehicle.
(1) If the abandoned motor vehicle is not identifiable by its registration plates or public vehicle identification number, and if no owner can be determined within 21 days of the date of receipt of the abandoned motor vehicle certification form, the Commissioner shall issue a certificate of abandoned motor vehicle with an appropriate title or salvage title.
(2) If the abandoned motor vehicle is identifiable by its registration plates or public vehicle identification number, the Department shall, within three business days of receipt of the form for certification of abandoned motor vehicle, send notice to the last known registered owner and lienholder of the vehicle. The notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall advise the last known registered owner of the motor vehicle’s location and a telephone number where additional information about the motor vehicle may be obtained. If the receipt is not returned to the Department within seven business days, the Commissioner shall, by first-class mail, send a second notice. Within 21 days of sending the second notice, the last known registered owner or lienholder may reclaim and retrieve the motor vehicle by presenting to the Department satisfactory evidence of ownership and paying or arranging to pay any fees or charges authorized by section 2155 of this title. If the last known registered owner or lienholder fails or refuses to reclaim the motor vehicle within 21 days of the second mailing, the Commissioner shall issue a certificate of abandoned motor vehicle with appropriate title or salvage title.
(b) An owner or lienholder may reclaim an abandoned motor vehicle by presenting to the Department satisfactory evidence of ownership, and paying or reimbursing, or making arrangements to pay or reimburse, the towing agency, the Department, or the landowner, as the case may be, any towing fee or storage charges permitted under section 2155 of this title. (Added 2003, No. 101 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2015, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 77.)