DMV official outlines abandoned-vehicle process as lawmakers weigh bill amendment on towing reimbursements

Pam McMan, supervisor of the education unit for DMV enforcement, told the House Transportation committee on April 14 that her unit processes roughly 30 abandoned-vehicle cases a week and described how the agency notifies owners and transfers titles to towing companies when vehicles go unclaimed.

McMan said the DMV sends a certified letter to the last known owner, waits the statutorily required interval and sends a second notice; if there is no response the agency calls the towing company and, if the tow company still has the vehicle, issues an abandoned-vehicle title so the tow company may take possession. "I am probably doing about 30 a week," McMan said. "Today alone I signed off on 17 cases." She added that the caseload includes everything from rusted-out junkers left in a parking lot to newer vehicles abandoned for other reasons.

A committee member recalled earlier estimates that about 500 abandoned-vehicle calls originate from state highways and asked whether the DMV's broader 1,500-per-year figure double-counts accidents, insurance claims or other categories. McMan said the larger number reflects the full universe of abandoned-vehicle filings the DMV processes, not only highway call-ins. "We still have 500 or so abandoned vehicles truly left on the side of the road," she said, and the remainder reflect additional circumstances such as vehicles left at private properties or handed over after insurance matters.

Lawmakers pressed the DMV on notification limits. McMan said the agency checks its system and sends two certified letters but does not perform door knocks or broad searches if mail is returned; mail forwarding can sometimes reach owners who moved. She said the statute requires owners to notify DMV of address changes. On timing, the committee discussed storage and title timelines; McMan said she thought the storage threshold the committee had referenced was about 30 days but that she would need to confirm the exact statutory timeline.

Members discussed the effect of the proposed amendment to the DMV bill attributed to "Honorable Mike Southwart," which would alter how proceeds or obligations from sold unclaimed vehicles are handled. McMan said the amendment would affect towing companies more than DMV and recommended the committee obtain input from the state treasurer (on unclaimed-property handling), representatives of towing companies and perhaps the attorney's office before advancing language. "If we were going to go forward on this, I guess we'd have to potentially hear from the state treasurer in terms of how they manage the unclaimed property in this area," she said.

The committee also examined the program that reimburses towing companies: DMV currently reimburses up to $125 when a towing company files for payment; the bill includes a provision to increase that reimbursement to $250. Members noted that a higher reimbursement could serve as an incentive for more towing companies to file claims; others flagged that local storage fees, municipal towing rules and disposal costs vary, and that past testimony indicated some reimbursement funds went unused because few tow companies filed claims.

Committee members asked how tow operators are selected. McMan said the DMV does not maintain a statewide rotational list for towers but that state police and local municipalities might operate their own lists; she noted encountering some newer towing companies on recent forms. She encouraged the panel to hear from towing stakeholders about qualification, storage-cap rules and fee practices.

No vote or formal action was taken during the meeting. Members said they expect to solicit additional testimony from the state treasurer, towing companies and possibly the attorney's office before deciding whether to advance the proposed amendment; one lawmaker suggested floor amendment as an option. The committee recessed without adopting changes to the DMV bill during the April 14 session.