Proposed Amendment to the State Transportation Budget

We received word late last week that than an amendment to HB 23 (State Transportation Budget) was being considered in the Ohio House of Representatives. The proposed amendment would be harmful to the Towing and Recovery Industry in several ways:

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The amendment provides that if a vehicle owner or lienholder is a corporation, they will not be responsible to pay for expenses or charges related to the storage of vehicles ordered into storage by law enforcement for any time-period the vehicle is held by law enforcement for a criminal investigation.
The current standard for notification to owner/lienholders would be reduced from five (5) business days to seventy two (72) hours. This new standard applies to both law enforcement and towing companies when sending notifications.
Changes the period that law enforcement may declare a motor vehicle a nuisance if the vehicle is not claimed within 10 days of notice – to 60 days - if the owner/lienholder is a corporation. While this change will not affect the towing industry process for acquiring titles for disposal, it will have a dramatic impact on municipal and county storage facilities disposing of junk and abandoned vehicles in a timely and efficient manner.

The OTRLC sprung to immediate action to oppose this amendment being included in the HB 23, the State Transportation Budget. The bill is currently being heard in the House Finance Sub Committee on Transportation and will be schedule for a vote in the House Finance Committee this week. The legislation will be advancing rapidly in the House of Representatives, including a potential vote this week and we will continue to oppose the amendment as the process unfolds.

In addition, we are working with our law enforcement partners who also have serious concerns about the proposed amendment and we support their opposition to the aspects of the amendment that will affect the notifications process and their ability to dispose of junk and abandoned vehicles. This is not the final step for HB 23 or the proposed amendment as the Ohio Senate will also hear the bill starting this week as well.

We will strongly oppose this amendment and will work with any interested party to find amicable solutions for problems that may exist regarding notifications, storage for criminal investigations, or law enforcement disposal processes. We will continue to update the industry as the bill advances through the process.